New Zealand

Napier Art Deco historic precinct

WHS Score 0.63 Votes 5 Average 0.8
Napier Art Deco historic precinct in the city of Napier on the North Island is one of the best preserved Art Deco districts in the world, and provides a unique Southern Hemisphere version of the style. Napier was devastated by an earthquake in 1931, and the central business district was rebuilt in the Art Deco style over the next decade. The one and two story buildings were decorated with ornamentation prevalent in Art Deco design, such as sunbursts and ziggurats, while also incorporating Maori designs.
>

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Napier Art Deco historic precinct (ID: 5125)
Country
New Zealand
Status
On tentative list 2007 Site history
History of Napier Art Deco historic precinct
Criteria
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
News Article
  • Oct. 6, 2008 stuff.co.nz — Napier's chances of becoming a world heritage site could be set back by the demolition of St John's cathedral hall

Community Information

Travel Information
No travel information
Recent Connections
No connections… yet. Propose a connection.
News
stuff.co.nz 10/06/2008
Napier's chances of becoming a wor…
Recent Visitors
Reserved for members.

Community Reviews

Show full reviews
First published: 20/07/20.

Carlo Sarion

Napier Art Deco Historic Precinct

Napier Art Deco historic precinct (On tentative list)

Napier Art Deco historic precinct by Carlo Sarion

The lifting of restrictions following months of lockdown allowed me to visit Napier in July 2020. According to its UNESCO WHS webpage, Napier's cityscape is the local government's response to the catastrophic 1931 earthquake that leveled most of the city. Art deco was adopted as the city's architectural style (given the time period), with most buildings constructed using reinforced concrete and possessing only one or two storeys. This is not surprising, however, as they want to prevent the same level of damages they experienced in the 1931 earthquake. The Napier City Council bills the city as the world's art deco capital. In addition, Napier holds the annual Art Deco festival every February to commemorate the historical and cultural significance of the city.

My friend and I drove down to Napier during a relatively busy Saturday afternoon, but it only took us 5 hours to get there from Auckland. Napier's art deco historic center is compact and could easily be visited in a day. Unfortunately, I wouldn't say that I got the most out of my visit since my friend had a different itinerary in mind. I was able, however, to visit the main buildings that arguably best represent the city's architecture, such as the Masonic Hotel, the Daily Telegraph Building, the Criterion Hotel, the Public Trust Office and the Central Hotel. Likewise, strolling along Tennyson, Emerson and Dickens streets would give any fan of art deco a healthy dose of this beautiful architectural style. It is notable that many …

Keep reading 0 comments