The General Buildings are considered to be one of the best examples of 'Chicago-style' architecture in New Zealand. Chicago-style design was developed for commercial buildings in late nineteenth-century America, and combined a restrained approach to classical ornamentation with the 'high-rise' form demanded by inner city developers. The construction of these structures in Auckland was frequently associated with the insurance industry (see 'N.Z. Guardian Trust Building' and 'South British Insurance Building'), and it was the Yorkshire Insurance Company that erected the original eight storey part of the General Buildings - known as Yorkshire House - in 1926-1928. Yorkshire House was considered to be one of the finest buildings in Auckland when it opened, and like others of its type housed the offices and public rooms of the insurance company at ground floor level while most of the remaining floors were rented out to other businesses as office suites. The building was lauded for its use of hot water central-heating, large windows and electric lighting, enabling work to be carried out more comfortably and over longer hours. The building retains much of its original interior and character, being extended in the 1970s with a near-identical addition on Shortland Street. The building is significant as one of the best-preserved Chicago-style high-rises in Auckland, and important for the unusually intact nature of its interiors. It demonstrates the growing influence of American prototypes in the commercial architecture of early twentieth-century New Zealand, and the link between such design and working practices. It makes a valuable contribution to Auckland's urban streetscape and is a reminder of Shortland Street's history as one of the main commercial thoroughfares in the town. The building has group value for its proximity to the 1920s South British Insurance Building and other historic buildings that were the original headquarters of similar financial institutions.
Location
List Entry Information
Overview
Detailed List Entry
Status
Listed
List Entry Status
Historic Place Category 1
Access
Private/No Public Access
List Number
106
Date Entered
4th April 1985
Date of Effect
4th April 1985
City/District Council
Auckland Council
Region
Auckland Council
Legal description
Lot 1 DP 75278