Christchurch's former government building was designed by J.C. Maddison, a Christchurch architect who designed many other public and industrial buildings in Christchurch and specialised in the design of freezing works. The building he designed for Cathedral Square was intended to provide a central location for government services in Christchurch. Previously, the various government departments had been housed in separate buildings scattered throughout the city. The proposal to erect the building in Cathedral Square was part of a national public works policy under Sir Joseph Ward's government, which aimed to match the growing population with sufficient government services.

The Government Buildings opened in 1913 and housed various Government departments for more than seventy years. The last Government department to occupy the building was the Ministry of Works and Development. When they moved, the building remained empty for a number of years and, in 1991, it was threatened with demolition. The Christchurch City Council then purchased the building and sold it to a group of developers planning to conserve and re-use the buildings. Meticulously restored, it is now part of the Heritage Hotel complex.

The building was designed in the style of a Italian High Renaissance palazzo. In keeping with this model, it has a massive box-like shape and a heavily rusticated stone base topped by walls with regularly placed windows, and a boldly modelled cornice. The entrance on the west facade is surmounted by a portico in antis (that is, a portico whose columns range with the front wall) while the entrance on the north side is topped by four columns which project slightly from the building. Initially the building was surmounted by a balustrade but this was removed in 1960 and replaced by a plain parapet. A replica of the original parapet was recently reinstated. Inside, the central staircase, spacious corridors and the door surrounds topped with triangular pediments are notable features.

This is a significant building because of its great architectural merit, its connection with the central government, and in particular with the early twentieth-century expansion of public works. It remains one of Maddison's most impressive creations and it forms an important part of the townscape around Cathedral Square.