Historic Significance

Historical Significance or Value 1YA was the first radio station to be licensed under the 1923 Radio Regulations. It operated initially from various modified existing buildings in Symonds Street, France Street and Karangahape Road. Radio broadcasting expanded rapidly in the 1930s despite the Depression. Vast technological change occurred in a very short space of time. Under the Broadcasting Board, new stations with improved facilities were opened in new buildings specifically designed for the purpose of radio broadcasting. The Shortland Street building was constructed as part of this upgrading. 1YA remained in this building until 1961. In 1959 test equipment for the transmission of television programmes was installed in the studio. AKTV2 became the first of the main centre television stations, commencing regular telecasts from the Shortland Street Studio in 1960. In 1966 Studio One was commissioned at Shortland Street as a custom designed television studio. It remained New Zealand's largest television studio until the opening of the Avalon complex. The Shortland Street building has played a crucial role in the establishment and development of both radio and television in New Zealand.

Physical Significance

ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE: The demands of radio technology, a steep site and the lack of an established prototype or style for radio station buildings resulted in a highly unique design for the IYA radio station building (now the TVNZ Studios). The Shortland Street Studios were constructed on the former beach cliff and this steep site was of critical importance in designing the building. The main studio is two stories in height, one level down from the main entrance. The thick and windowless walls were necessary to stop the transmission of sound from studio to studio and from the street into the studio. The predominant style for American Radio Station buildings was what became known as 'moderne'. This style relied heavily on the use of glazing - both glass bricks and window strips. These elements were, however, inappropriate for stopping sound transmission and the Shortland Street Studios have 22 inch walls and triple glazing. The conception of the design was, like most Art Deco designs, highly romantic. The eclectic selection of motifs by the designers, ranging in source from ancient civilisations to modern machines, was characteristic of the times. The historicist ziggurat form of the pinnacles, typical of Art Deco design, contrasts with the radio transmitter mounted on the roof, indicative of the technological age. The interior featured elaborate decorative work and was described as a 'magnificent palace of Broadcasting'. When the 1YA radio station building was under construction the New Zealand Institute of Architects Journal stated that the architectural style of the building was 'not modern'. Although the designers of the building were, like 'modern' architects, concerned to fulfill the technological and functional requirements of their brief, they were also interested in decorating the form of the building with historical architectural elements such as arched arcades. TOWNSCAPE/LANDMARK SIGNIFICANCE: The unusual facade forms a well known Auckland landmark. There are a number of classified buildings on Shortland Street and the studios contrast with the Chicago style commercial buildings in the valley. Both the overall form and the intricacy of the decorative detailing are important features of the design which contribute to the townscape of the surrounding area.