Central Building

Central Building, 201 Heretaunga Street West, Hastings Inventory Number: 2; Property ID: 24362; TRIM Reference 24362#002#0006 NZHPT Register Number: 1073 Report by Michael Kelly, and Chris Cochran, 2012. Edited and updated, September 2015, by the HDC Environmental Policy Team

Hastings CBD Heritage Inventory Project

CENTRAL BUILDING

Photo: P. Huddleston, 2015 LOCATION:

Street and Number: 201 Heretaunga Street West and 100 Market Street North Location: Corner of Heretaunga Street West and Market Street North City/ Town: Hastings Region: Hawke’s Bay

LEGAL DESCRIPTION:

Legal Description: Lot 1 and Lot 2 DP 245 Certificate of Title (includes Registry): HBM3/582 and HBM3/581, Hawke’s Bay Registry

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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANCE:

Architectural Value:

A well-known landmark in Hastings, the Central Building imposes its quiet and dignified character on a central part of the city, adjacent to the pedestrian mall in Heretaunga Street West and on a busy corner site. It is two storeys high, and of large floor plate, which adds to its prominence in the townscape. Many of its neighbours are of similar scale, and date from the post-earthquake building boom of the 1930s, which creates the strong period character of the central city. Architecturally, the building is a very good example of the Stripped Classical style, displaying simplified and abstracted Classical features in a well-ordered and rational manner. It is authentic in the important elements of the verandah and the first floor façade above, and in the ground floor entrance foyer, and it is the work of a nationally important architect Edmund Anscombe.

Aesthetic Value:

Central Building is large in plan, is two storeys high, and occupies a prominent corner site. It fulfils the obligations of such a site, since it is well proportioned and scaled and has strong visual interest in the detail. It has important aesthetic value for the city in its townscape qualities.

Historic Value:

The Central Building has had an unremarkable history, having been an investment building occupied by a large number of commercial and retail tenants over its history. No tenants or owners of particular note have been identified.

Technological Value:

The design is of special interest as it is a competent example of the Stripped Classical style of architecture applied to a commercial building; it is a style that was popular in the 1930s and was well suited to the exigencies of rebuilding in the aftermath of the Hawke’s Bay earthquake. There is technological value in the reinforced concrete construction of the building, especially as a post-earthquake structure, and there is modest technical interest in other original elements of the building such as plaster finishes, decoration and roof structure. The building has high townscape value for its well-mannered presence on the corner of one of the most important central city intersections.

HISTORY:

Central Building occupies land that was owned in its present form as far back as 1892 by George Land and Simeon Heighway.1 It’s not certain, although highly likely, that the prominent corner site was occupied by a building prior to the construction of Central Building. After a series of sales, the site was purchased in 1907 by George Kelly. Kelly was still the owner at the time of the Hawke’s Bay earthquake in 1931. In 1934 Kelly

1 CT HB 49/24 and HB 181/93, LINZ, Napier

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commissioned the noted Wellington architect Edmund Anscombe to design a building for the site.2 The building was completed later that same year by H.W. Abbott.

Central Building was a very good example of the Stripped Classical style, adopted by Anscombe (as was the case for many architects working in Hawke’s Bay after the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake) as a response to the need for economical and structurally sound buildings, yet with some architectural presence to benefit the city. Anscombe wrote that ‘The buildings of today should combine simplicity, convenience, strength, beauty, harmony and permanence, and be designed for the definite purpose of supporting … a business … in the performance of its everyday function’, and this building is a realisation of this creed.

In February 1936, Kelly sold the property to Central Building Ltd. Central Building’s retail spaces were occupied by, among others, a milliner and a confectioner.3 By 1940, Roy Symonds’ chemist shop occupied part of the ground floor retail space, and he remained a long-standing tenant.4 During World War II, Air Force Relations occupied part of the building. After World War II, in addition to the chemist shop, McAras Ltd, described as frock specialists, occupied part of the ground floor retail space for a considerable period.5 From the 1950s, Central Building Ltd negotiated a series of leases with a number of tenants, including Lane Walker Rudkin, the above-mentioned McAras Ltd, Watson’s Pharmacy, Paul Barcham Ltd., William Greer.6

In 1971 the building was sold to H.E.F. Pensions Ltd, who sold it to Paterson Central Ltd in 1984. It was purchased by Jeremy and Gail Paterson in 19897 and, from 1990 to 2010, it was owned by property developer David Gunson.8 In 2010, ownership was transferred to Heretaunga 201 Ltd.9

The building has undergone a number of recorded alterations – at least 10 since 195710 – mainly to shop interiors and shop fronts. Much of the ground floor retail space is presently occupied by Unichem chemists. The first floor is occupied by Curves Gym.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:

Architect: Edmund Anscombe (1874-1948)11

Edmund Anscombe was born in Sussex, England and came to New Zealand as a child. He began work as a builder's apprentice in Dunedin and in 1901 went to America to study architecture. He returned to Dunedin in 1907 and designed the School of Mines building for the University of Otago. The success of this design gained him the position of architect to the University. Five of the main University buildings were designed by Anscombe, as well as Otago Girls' High School and several of Dunedin's finest

2 See Appendices for copies of the plans. 3 Wises Street Directory, 1940 4 Ibid. 1940-1960 5 Ibid. 6 CT HB 49/24 and HB 181/93, LINZ, Napier 7 CT HB 181/93, LINZ, Napier 8 CT HB M3/581 and M3/582, LINZ, Napier 9 Hastings District Council File information 10 See list of buildings consents issued on building file. 11 See also http://www.dnzb.govt.nz

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commercial buildings including the Lindo Ferguson Building (1927) and the Haynes building.

Anscombe moved to Wellington about 1928 and was known for his work as the designer of the Centennial Exhibition (1939-1940). Anscombe had travelled extensively and had visited major exhibitions in Australia, Germany and America. The practice of Edmund Anscombe and Associates, Architects, had offices in the Dunedin, Wellington and Hawke’s Bay districts, and Anscombe's buildings include the Vocational Centre for Disabled Servicemen, Wellington (1943), Sargent Art Gallery, Wanganui, and several blocks of flats including Anscombe Flats, 212 Oriental Parade (1937) and Franconia, 136 The Terrace (1938), both in Wellington. As well as being interested in the housing problem, Anscombe held strong views concerning the industrial advancement of New Zealand.

Builder: H.W. Abbott

Date of construction: 1934

Construction details: Reinforced concrete construction, timber trussed roof, corrugated iron roof cladding.

Description: Central Building is appropriately named, for its corner site on Heretaunga Street West and Market Street is at the heart of the Hastings Central Business District (CBD). It plays an important role in the townscape, both in defining an important intersection and in contributing to the character of the inner city.

It is Stripped Classical in style, a building of calm assurance in its low horizontal emphasis; established by a strong parapet with long horizontal bands of decorative work, and the verandah fascia, which extends to both ends of the relatively long facades. The first floor façade is actually divided by fluted pilasters, with abstracted designs to capitals and bases, and each bay has one large window set in a deep reveal. The building curves around the corner, the three corner bays being emphasised slightly by a step in the parapet; each end bay has similar emphasis. An unusual feature is the frieze of lions’ heads interspersed along the length of the acroteria at parapet level.12 While totally authentic above verandah level, all the shop fronts below have been modernised. The ground floor entrance on Market Street to the first floor offices is likewise authentic, little altered from 1934. It has a terrazzo floor, solid curved balustrade to the stair and a lead- light window of pure Art Deco design13; it gives access to the first floor hall.

The structure of the building is reinforced in-situ concrete for foundations, floors (reinforced with ‘maxweld’ mesh) and walls; the roof structure is timber trusses (rimu), and the roof is clad in corrugated iron. The walls are plastered with coloured plaster, now painted, and the first floor windows were steel and are now replaced with aluminium. Australian blackwood timber was used for doors, frames and shopfront joinery on the ground floor.

12 Refer to photo 1. 13 Refer to photo 1.

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ELEMENTS OF ARCHITECTURAL IMPORTANCE:

Element Significance Form and detail of the street elevations, Architectural, aesthetic and technological including the verandah importance. Entrance foyer and stairwell to the first floor, Architectural and technological importance. including terrazzo floor, lead-light window etc

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES:

NZHPT File ‘Central Building’, 12009-772.

OTHER INFORMATION:

NZHPT Register Number: Central Building is a Category II historic place (Number 1073).

District Plan Listing: Listed as a Category II Historic Place in the Operative Hastings District Plan (Heritage Item H29). In the Proposed Hastings District Plan 2015, the Central Building is listed as a Category II Historic Item (HB43). The building is also located within the Central Character Precinct under both the Operative and Proposed District Plans.

New Zealand Historic Places Act 1993: This site has been identified as a potential archaeological site under Section 2 of the New Zealand Historic Places Act 1993.

OTHER PHOTOGRAPHS:

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Photo 1: Note lions’ heads interspersed along the frieze at parapet level. (P. Huddleston, January 2015)

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Photo 3: The ground floor entrance on Market Photo 2: First floor detailing Street showing the solid, curved balustrade and a (Chris Cochran, October 2004) stained glass window of Art Deco design. (Chris Cochran, October 2004)

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ARCHIVE PLAN(S): New Shop and Office Premises at Cnr Heretaunga & Market Streets, Hastings for G. Kelly Esq. (1934) (TRIM Ref: 24362#021)

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