The walks are the brainchild of the Art Deco Trust. The commentators are Trust volunteers and the walk I went on was fantastic – illuminating and definitely interesting even for a native Napier-ite.
There’s a sad and well-known story behind this unique, living showcase of 20th century design styles. The Napier Earthquake – measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale – struck town on February 3, 1931, and caused massive destruction with the eventual loss of 256 lives.
The quake brought down many brick buildings and the fire that broke out soon after destroyed many timber buildings that had survived the initial disaster. But in a freakish stroke of luck, a sudden wind change took the flames back the way they’d come, preventing further damage.
It is human nature to go forward after adversity and a few positive aspects arose from the rubble. Before the quake, this port town was mainly settled on Bluff Hill and along two narrow spits of land; further growth near the town would have been restricted because of its topography.
It could almost be said that the Hawkes Bay Harbour Board won the Art Union (a forerunner to Lotto) in 1931, with some surrounding areas previously under water rising two metres after the quake.
The Harbour Board, now the Regional Council, gained 2230 hectares, stretching from the Napier Airport to Marewa (which means gift from the sea) plus parts of Onekawa and Maraenui.
Were it not for the circumstances of the windfall, this would have been cause for celebration. It did, however, allow the town to grow.
With the town levelled, it was an opportunity to rebuild in a planned and sophisticated way, but hardship was a way of life for several years. Households and business owners often had two mortgages, one from before the quake and later another to rebuild their new life.
A collection of temporary dwellings to the west of the commercial district called Tin Town housed commercial activity for a couple of years and it took the best part of a decade before all work was completed.
After researching overseas architectural trends, the Art Deco style – first introduced to the world at the 1925 Paris Expo – was chosen to be the face and spirit of the new town. The rebuilding programme also provided jobs for many unemployed men during the Depression.
Public relations also played a role in the rebuilding. Riveting, a noisy way to join metal, was favoured instead of the quieter welding method because it was thought loud construction would let people know their town was being reconstructed.
The rebuilding programme also allowed for innovations such as laying services underground and creating splayed street corners for better visibility. Because there were no street posts, street names were laid in the pavements and service lanes were built throughout the commercial district.
Other architectural styles were embraced too – Spanish Mission, Art Nouveau, Chicago and Prairie Style, Beaux Arts, the International Style as well as the influence of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Most buildings also incorporated Maori design motifs such as the kowhai and koru.
The former BNZ Building, now home to the ASB Bank, is one of the most significant in town. Heritage listed, it’s most likely the country’s finest example of Maori carving and decoration incorporated in a European-styled building.
Today, when customers raise their eyes upward on hearing how much their mortgage has increased, they’ll also notice the beautiful coffered skylight ceilings and decorative panels, inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. Small sections of the skylights are raised for ventilation and a translucent roof over the windows protects customers from the elements.
Power, speed and freedom, the slogans of the new age, were represented by symbols that encapsulated Art Deco. Speed lines, zigzags, sunbursts, sculptures of naked women dancing and ziggurats inspired by the stepped New York skyscrapers; were features that easily identified the new style and can be seen on the exterior and interior of Napier’s 1930 buildings.
Much appreciation of Napier’s architectural legacy comes from hindsight, however. In the mid 1980s, several Art Deco buildings were demolished before people had become aware of their significance. More would have been destroyed if some locals hadn’t formed a group to lobby for their preservation.
Tourism based around Napier’s Art Deco heritage is now big business for the city and the Art Deco Weekend, held in February each year, attracts tens of thousands of people who celebrate the style of the era while having a jolly good time. However, February can be hot and if donning stockings, woollen dresses, fox stoles, hats and three-piece suits doesn’t appeal, then July’s Art Deco Decanted might be a preferable alternative.
This winter’s Art Deco celebration runs July 18-20 and promises the same roaring good times. Visit www.artdeconapier.com for more details.
