Heritage windows out of bounds
A cafe owner is embarrassed he cannot clean the windows of the building because of heritage rules.
Christchurch’s the Sign of the Takahe reopened as a cafe and bar in September after the nearly 100-year-old building underwent a $2.8 million post-earthquake restoration.
The windows have not been properly cleaned since the repair finished in 2017 because they are covered with additional protective glass only a specialist is allowed to remove.
The building has been used in the hospitality industry since it opened in 1918, with various cafes, bars and restaurants operating out of it over the years.
Restaurateur Andrew Male said the beautiful views were being spoiled by the inability to keep the windows clean.
‘‘It is very embarrassing for customers to come up to us and ask why we haven’t been cleaning our windows,’’ he said.
‘‘We have beautiful views from our cafe but there is a 20-millimetre gap between our windows, which we can’t get in between.’’
Male said it would be relatively simple for the cafe staff to remove the protective glass with the right tools but they were not allowed.
The rules were set by the Christchurch City Council, which paid for the restoration. The windows are separated by roughly 20mm gaps with additional protective glass on either side. The windows and protective glass are attached by brackets screwed into the walls.
The Sign of the Takahe cafe has been booming since its reopening but the window debacle has raised some concern from customers. Notices have been placed on the windows explaining the situation.
The notices read ‘‘some windows, such as this one, are protected by extra glass that CCC heritage in their wisdom do not have clips for easy removal’’.
Council head of parks Andrew Rutledge said the council was working with an experienced glass handler to remove the protective glass and allow the windows to be cleaned.
‘‘We hope to have this done in early December.’’
Male said he understood why heritage buildings needed rules but he had hoped the solution would be a permanent one, rather than a temporary fix that would only allow for a one-off clean.
‘‘It is important to protect them but a solution has come a bit slower than I had hoped,’’ he said.
‘‘I think a good solution would be hinges, so that we can access the gapped area, clean it, then put it back as normal while keeping the glass protection,’’ Male said.
Rutledge said the council was exploring alternative fixing systems that would allow easier cleaning while still protecting the windows.