On February 3, 1931, a major earthquake devastated the central business area of Napier. Only a very few buildings withstood serious damage. Virtually all of the 4.2 hectare area had to be rebuilt from scratch. The task was undertaken almost immediately, and within three years the town had been almost entirely rebuilt.
Nearly all of the city's new buildings were designed by local architects. A co-operative group called the Associated Architects of Napier was formed to get construction quickly underway. Its members were J. A. Louis Hay, E.A. Williams, C.T. Natusch and sons, and Finch and Westerholme. In the spirit of co-operation fostered by this Association, the architects attempted to relate the appearance of all the new buildings to one another. Most buildings erected following the earthquake were designed in what can very broadly be described as the Art Deco style. This style had been popularised in 1925 at the International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, held in Paris.
Art Deco was considered to be a very 'modern' style, well suited to the image that Napier wanted to project as a city. For these reasons, Art Deco buildings found favour with both architects and the public. A number of buildings erected after the earthquake were not Art Deco at all, the 'Spanish Mission' style being a popular alternative. They add a Mediterranean flavour to the city well suited to the sunny climate, and they relate well to their Art Deco neighbours.
Not all buildings in the nominated area are in Art Deco or related styles of the 1930's. A few buildings survived the earthquake virtually intact and are compatible with the general character of the area.
List Entry Information
Status
Listed
List Entry Status
Historic Area
Access
Able to Visit
List Number
7022
Date Entered
3rd March 1995
Date of Effect
3rd March 1995
City/District Council
Napier City
Region
Hawke's Bay Region
Extent of List Entry
The area comprises the structures and land of Napier's central business area, Tiffen Park, Clive and Memorial Squares and an area on the eastern side of Marine Parade are included.
Status
Listed
List Entry Status
Historic Area
Access
Able to Visit
List Number
7022
Date Entered
3rd March 1995
Date of Effect
3rd March 1995
City/District Council
Napier City
Region
Hawke's Bay Region
Extent of List Entry
The area comprises the structures and land of Napier's central business area, Tiffen Park, Clive and Memorial Squares and an area on the eastern side of Marine Parade are included.
Why is this place significant?
Historic Significance
Historical Significance or Value This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. This report includes text from the original Proposal for Registration considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. The Napier earthquake and the devastation it caused is a significant event in New Zealand's history. The plain symmetrical forms of the Art Deco style made the new buildings both cheap to erect and safe, ideal for the reconstruction of post-earthquake Napier. With New Zealand in the grips of the Great Depression, functional design meant that buildings could be built quickly and at minimal cost.
Physical Significance
This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. This report includes text from the original Proposal for Registration considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. Architectural: Napier City centre does not contain the grandest examples of the Art Deco style in the world but it does have an unique concentration of Art Deco buildings. The Art Deco style is characterised by plain symmetrical forms and these plain facades are enlivened by typical Art Deco features such as stepped pyramidal rooflines, half octagon window frames, decorations in the form of motifs and reliefs and geometric patterns such as zigzags, triangles and sunburst motifs. Technological: The reinforced concrete construction of most of the new buildings considerably reduced potential danger in a future disaster. Aesthetic: The area has considerable townscape value and aesthetic qualities. All of the buildings are of a compatible scale. Their homogeneity of age and style gives the streets a picturesque quality evoking the spirit of the 1930's. The buildings, open spaces, and street furniture of the Napier City Centre, as well as having considerable scenic value, provide Napier with a continuity with its past. The large concentration of Art Deco buildings, constructed during the years following the 1931 earthquake, are compatible in age and scale and form a unique streetscape. There has been a resurgence of interest in Art Deco recently, and the importance of Napier in world terms gives the city a special identity which is becoming widely recognised.
Why is this place significant?
Historic Significance
Historical Significance or Value This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. This report includes text from the original Proposal for Registration considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. The Napier earthquake and the devastation it caused is a significant event in New Zealand's history. The plain symmetrical forms of the Art Deco style made the new buildings both cheap to erect and safe, ideal for the reconstruction of post-earthquake Napier. With New Zealand in the grips of the Great Depression, functional design meant that buildings could be built quickly and at minimal cost.
Physical Significance
This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. This report includes text from the original Proposal for Registration considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. Architectural: Napier City centre does not contain the grandest examples of the Art Deco style in the world but it does have an unique concentration of Art Deco buildings. The Art Deco style is characterised by plain symmetrical forms and these plain facades are enlivened by typical Art Deco features such as stepped pyramidal rooflines, half octagon window frames, decorations in the form of motifs and reliefs and geometric patterns such as zigzags, triangles and sunburst motifs. Technological: The reinforced concrete construction of most of the new buildings considerably reduced potential danger in a future disaster. Aesthetic: The area has considerable townscape value and aesthetic qualities. All of the buildings are of a compatible scale. Their homogeneity of age and style gives the streets a picturesque quality evoking the spirit of the 1930's. The buildings, open spaces, and street furniture of the Napier City Centre, as well as having considerable scenic value, provide Napier with a continuity with its past. The large concentration of Art Deco buildings, constructed during the years following the 1931 earthquake, are compatible in age and scale and form a unique streetscape. There has been a resurgence of interest in Art Deco recently, and the importance of Napier in world terms gives the city a special identity which is becoming widely recognised.
The following places are identified on the 'Kep to Map' in the Recommendation for Registration report completed when the area was reassessed for registration. 1) Shakespeare Hotel (cnr 811 Brewster St & Shakespeare Rd) 2) AMP (#1107) 3) South British Insurance Co (cnr 11 Browning St & Herschell St) 4) Look-Nu (Kalafat Super Service Station cnr 2 Hastings St & Tennyson St) 5) Abbott's Building (State Advances Corp. 6-20 Hastings St) 6) Bon Marche (fmr McKenzie's, 24 Hastings St) 7) Parker's Chambers (now Bon Marche, 24 Hastings St & Herschell St) 8) Bank of New South Wales (#1109) 9) Thorp's (#1137) 10) Cox's Building (44 Hastings St) 11) Holland's (52 Hastings St) 12) Robert Holt Building (cnr 17, 21 Tennyson St & Marine Parade) 13) Masonic Hotel (#1154 14) BNZ (#1112) 15) Mutual Chambers (108 & 110 Hastings St) 16) McClurg's (112 & 114 Hastings St) 17) Jessica's (134 Hastings St) 18) Haynes (now Wizards 138 Hastings St & Marine Parade) 19) Odean Theatre (142-154 Hastings St) 20) Callinicos Building (158 Hastings St) 21) Paxie's Building (#4835) 22) AGC (192-8 Hastings St & 157 Marine Parade) 23) Post Office (#1158) 24) Hyde's Building (141 &145 Hastings St) 25) Bennett's (#1132) 26) Arthur Barnetts (#1133) 27) Criterion Hotel (#1128) 28) Market Reserve Building (#4413) 29) Bryant Building 30) Ritchie's (45 Hastings St) 31) Harston's (#1143) 32) Ringland's (#1169) 33) Barry Bros. Building (21-23 Browning St) 34) Ministry of Works (#2805) 35) Telephone Exchange (35 Browning St) 36) Hawkes Bay County Council (#4820) 37) Museum (9 Herschell St) 38) New Zealand Insurance (#1163) 39) McGlashans (39 Tennyson St) 40) Macky, Logan & Caldwell (49 Tennyson St) 41) The Daily Telegraph (#1129) 42) Munster Chambers (#4816) 43) Sainsbury & Logan (#2810) 44) Ross & Glandinning (#4815) 45) Scinde Building (#4814) 46) Timms (79 Tennyson St) 47) Municipal Theatre (#4812) 48) Rayment's Garage (Faulknor's) (143-147 Tennyson Street) 49) Fire Chiefs Flats (155-7 Tennyson Street) 50) Desco (#1131) 51) Salmon Motors (116 Tennyson St) 52) Old Flame Restaurant (112 Tennyson St) 53) Public Trust Office (#1167) 54) Hildebrandt's Building (#4813) 55) H B Building and Investment Society (86 Tennyson St) 56) McCulloch, Butler & Spence (76 Tennyson St) 57) Halsbury Chambers (74 Tennyson St) 58) State Fire Insurance Office (58 Tennyson St) 59) Tennyson Chambers (#4817) 60) Gladstone Chambers (#4818) 61) State Insurance (#1172) 62) Bowmans Building (#4819) 63) H B Chambers (#4823) 64) Olympic Properties (#2809) 65) Olympic Properties (116 Emerson St) 66) Smith & Chambers (#4824) 67) J S Golding (136 Emerson St) 68) Self Help (#4826) 69) Gallates (148 Emerson St) 70) Hallensteins (152 Emerson St) 71) McCreadys (#4827) 72) Kidson's Corner (#4828) 73) Napier Building (#1157) 74) C E Rogers (#4830) 75) Burton's Building (182 Emerson St) 76) Fenwick Building (196 & 200 Emerson St) 77) A King Building (202 Emerson St) 78) Singer Building (208 Emerson St) 79) Colenso Chambers (#1117 CR) 80) Hope Building (226 Emerson St) 81) Shanghai Buildings (232 Emerson St) 82) R Sang Building (238 Emerson St) 83) Provincial Hotel (#1166) 84) Clive Square Building (cnr 269-79 Emerson St & Clive Sq East) 85) Methodist Trustees Building (251A & B Emerson St) 86) Boylands (245 Emerson St) 87) Loo Kee & Co (239 Emerson St) 88) Cosmopolitan Club (139 Dickens & Emerson St) 89) Hawkes Bay Farmers Co-op (205 & 213 Emerson St & 123-41 Dickens St) 90) Central Hotel (#1114) 91) C B Hansen Building (77-81 Dalton St) 92) Masson House (#1155) 93) C D Cox (58 Dalton St) 94) Welsford's (157 Emerson St) 95) Lockyer's (153-5 Emerson St) 96) Rice's Building (147 Emerson St) 97) Eastern & Central (#4825) 98) Hurst's Building (125A Emerson St) 99) Deka (113 Emerson St) 100) Emerson Building (93 Emerson St) 101) McGruer's (#2803) 102) Arthur Barnetts (also refer to no. 26) 103) Hannah's (49 Emerson St) 104) A & B BuildinG (#183) 105) Dalgety's (#1130) 106) Dalton Chambers (97 Dalton St) 107) H B Farmers Garage (cnr Dickens St & 110 Dalton St) 108) Hawkes Bay Electric Co (203 Dickens St) 109) State Theatre (#2812) 110) Chisholm Building (126 Dalton St) 111) Gaiety Theatre (#2811) 112) Eames Building (44 Dickens St) 113) Golden Crown (#4832) 114) Automobile Assn (#1106) Objects 1) Blythe Fountain (#1110) 2) Cenotaph (#1113) 3) Cluster Lamps (#1116). 4) Veronica Colonade, Marine Parade
The following places are identified on the 'Kep to Map' in the Recommendation for Registration report completed when the area was reassessed for registration. 1) Shakespeare Hotel (cnr 811 Brewster St & Shakespeare Rd) 2) AMP (#1107) 3) South British Insurance Co (cnr 11 Browning St & Herschell St) 4) Look-Nu (Kalafat Super Service Station cnr 2 Hastings St & Tennyson St) 5) Abbott's Building (State Advances Corp. 6-20 Hastings St) 6) Bon Marche (fmr McKenzie's, 24 Hastings St) 7) Parker's Chambers (now Bon Marche, 24 Hastings St & Herschell St) 8) Bank of New South Wales (#1109) 9) Thorp's (#1137) 10) Cox's Building (44 Hastings St) 11) Holland's (52 Hastings St) 12) Robert Holt Building (cnr 17, 21 Tennyson St & Marine Parade) 13) Masonic Hotel (#1154 14) BNZ (#1112) 15) Mutual Chambers (108 & 110 Hastings St) 16) McClurg's (112 & 114 Hastings St) 17) Jessica's (134 Hastings St) 18) Haynes (now Wizards 138 Hastings St & Marine Parade) 19) Odean Theatre (142-154 Hastings St) 20) Callinicos Building (158 Hastings St) 21) Paxie's Building (#4835) 22) AGC (192-8 Hastings St & 157 Marine Parade) 23) Post Office (#1158) 24) Hyde's Building (141 &145 Hastings St) 25) Bennett's (#1132) 26) Arthur Barnetts (#1133) 27) Criterion Hotel (#1128) 28) Market Reserve Building (#4413) 29) Bryant Building 30) Ritchie's (45 Hastings St) 31) Harston's (#1143) 32) Ringland's (#1169) 33) Barry Bros. Building (21-23 Browning St) 34) Ministry of Works (#2805) 35) Telephone Exchange (35 Browning St) 36) Hawkes Bay County Council (#4820) 37) Museum (9 Herschell St) 38) New Zealand Insurance (#1163) 39) McGlashans (39 Tennyson St) 40) Macky, Logan & Caldwell (49 Tennyson St) 41) The Daily Telegraph (#1129) 42) Munster Chambers (#4816) 43) Sainsbury & Logan (#2810) 44) Ross & Glandinning (#4815) 45) Scinde Building (#4814) 46) Timms (79 Tennyson St) 47) Municipal Theatre (#4812) 48) Rayment's Garage (Faulknor's) (143-147 Tennyson Street) 49) Fire Chiefs Flats (155-7 Tennyson Street) 50) Desco (#1131) 51) Salmon Motors (116 Tennyson St) 52) Old Flame Restaurant (112 Tennyson St) 53) Public Trust Office (#1167) 54) Hildebrandt's Building (#4813) 55) H B Building and Investment Society (86 Tennyson St) 56) McCulloch, Butler & Spence (76 Tennyson St) 57) Halsbury Chambers (74 Tennyson St) 58) State Fire Insurance Office (58 Tennyson St) 59) Tennyson Chambers (#4817) 60) Gladstone Chambers (#4818) 61) State Insurance (#1172) 62) Bowmans Building (#4819) 63) H B Chambers (#4823) 64) Olympic Properties (#2809) 65) Olympic Properties (116 Emerson St) 66) Smith & Chambers (#4824) 67) J S Golding (136 Emerson St) 68) Self Help (#4826) 69) Gallates (148 Emerson St) 70) Hallensteins (152 Emerson St) 71) McCreadys (#4827) 72) Kidson's Corner (#4828) 73) Napier Building (#1157) 74) C E Rogers (#4830) 75) Burton's Building (182 Emerson St) 76) Fenwick Building (196 & 200 Emerson St) 77) A King Building (202 Emerson St) 78) Singer Building (208 Emerson St) 79) Colenso Chambers (#1117 CR) 80) Hope Building (226 Emerson St) 81) Shanghai Buildings (232 Emerson St) 82) R Sang Building (238 Emerson St) 83) Provincial Hotel (#1166) 84) Clive Square Building (cnr 269-79 Emerson St & Clive Sq East) 85) Methodist Trustees Building (251A & B Emerson St) 86) Boylands (245 Emerson St) 87) Loo Kee & Co (239 Emerson St) 88) Cosmopolitan Club (139 Dickens & Emerson St) 89) Hawkes Bay Farmers Co-op (205 & 213 Emerson St & 123-41 Dickens St) 90) Central Hotel (#1114) 91) C B Hansen Building (77-81 Dalton St) 92) Masson House (#1155) 93) C D Cox (58 Dalton St) 94) Welsford's (157 Emerson St) 95) Lockyer's (153-5 Emerson St) 96) Rice's Building (147 Emerson St) 97) Eastern & Central (#4825) 98) Hurst's Building (125A Emerson St) 99) Deka (113 Emerson St) 100) Emerson Building (93 Emerson St) 101) McGruer's (#2803) 102) Arthur Barnetts (also refer to no. 26) 103) Hannah's (49 Emerson St) 104) A & B BuildinG (#183) 105) Dalgety's (#1130) 106) Dalton Chambers (97 Dalton St) 107) H B Farmers Garage (cnr Dickens St & 110 Dalton St) 108) Hawkes Bay Electric Co (203 Dickens St) 109) State Theatre (#2812) 110) Chisholm Building (126 Dalton St) 111) Gaiety Theatre (#2811) 112) Eames Building (44 Dickens St) 113) Golden Crown (#4832) 114) Automobile Assn (#1106) Objects 1) Blythe Fountain (#1110) 2) Cenotaph (#1113) 3) Cluster Lamps (#1116). 4) Veronica Colonade, Marine Parade
Historical and Associated Iwi / Hapū / Whānau
Report Written By
NZHPT
Information Sources
McKenzie, 1985 (2)
James McKenzie, Napier City Centre Conservation Area, New Zealand Historic Places Trust (1985)
Other Information
A copy of the original report is available from the NZHPT Central region office. Please note that entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero identifies only the heritage values of the property concerned, and should not be construed as advice on the state of the property, or as a comment of its soundness or safety, including in regard to earthquake risk, safety in the event of fire, or insanitary conditions.
Historical and Associated Iwi / Hapū / Whānau
Report Written By
NZHPT
Information Sources
McKenzie, 1985 (2)
James McKenzie, Napier City Centre Conservation Area, New Zealand Historic Places Trust (1985)
Other Information
A copy of the original report is available from the NZHPT Central region office. Please note that entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero identifies only the heritage values of the property concerned, and should not be construed as advice on the state of the property, or as a comment of its soundness or safety, including in regard to earthquake risk, safety in the event of fire, or insanitary conditions.
Former Usages
General Usage: Accommodation
Specific Usage: Hotel
General Usage: Civic Facilities
Specific Usage: Museum
General Usage: Civic Facilities
Specific Usage: Theatre
General Usage: Communication
Specific Usage: Post Office
General Usage: Communication
Specific Usage: Telephone Exchange
General Usage: Finance
Specific Usage: Bank
General Usage: Government
Specific Usage: Council/local government building
General Usage: Trade
Specific Usage: Office building/Offices
General Usage: Trade
Specific Usage: Shop
Former Usages
General Usage: Accommodation
Specific Usage: Hotel
General Usage: Civic Facilities
Specific Usage: Museum
General Usage: Civic Facilities
Specific Usage: Theatre
General Usage: Communication
Specific Usage: Post Office
General Usage: Communication
Specific Usage: Telephone Exchange
General Usage: Finance
Specific Usage: Bank
General Usage: Government
Specific Usage: Council/local government building
General Usage: Trade
Specific Usage: Office building/Offices
General Usage: Trade
Specific Usage: Shop
Location
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