DISTRICT PLAN –LISTED HERITAGE PLACE HERITAGE ASSESSMENT – STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE HERITAGE ITEM NUMBER 218 DWELLINGS AND SETTING,MILDENHALL – 53 GLOUCESTER STREET,

PHOTOGRAPH: M. VAIR-PIOVA 4/12/2014

HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE Historical and social values that demonstrate or are associated with: a particular person, group, organisation, institution, event, phase or activity; the continuity and/or change of a phase or activity; social, historical, traditional, economic, political or other patterns.

Mildenhall has historical and social significance as an example of a new mode of domestic arrangement - the flat - that became popular in New Zealand towns and cities in the interwar period.

Between the late 1920s and WWII a demand grew up in New Zealand cities for apartment- type accommodation. This trend was driven by a variety of circumstances – fashion, social change and economics – and led both to the subdivision of larger houses and the construction of new purpose-built blocks. Mildenhall was developed in 1935-1936 by investors Ruth and Bernard Owen, who had purchased the property in April 1935. The block was originally reported as containing nine flats with an additional seven room residence at the northern end. The flats were a mix of bedsits and two bed units. Currently it contains nine units. As the building was nearing completion in February 1936, reported that Christchurch had never seen such intense activity in the erection of buildings of this type. Other blocks of flats constructed in this period included St Elmo Courts (1930, demolished), Victoria Mansions (1936), West Avon (1936), and The Maisonettes (1939-1941). Mildenhall was owned by the Owen family until 1975; members remain prominent property investors in

Page 1 the inner city today. It sustained minimal damage in the Canterbury Earthquakes of 2010- 2011, and remains in residential use.

CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE Cultural and spiritual values that demonstrate or are associated with the distinctive characteristics of a way of life, philosophy, tradition, religion, or other belief, including: the symbolic or commemorative value of the place; significance to Tangata Whenua; and/or associations with an identifiable group and esteemed by this group for its cultural values.

Mildenhall has cultural significance as demonstration of the way in which the rapid social and cultural change of the interwar period led to new ways of living with single people or small couples residing in smaller living environments in close proximity to others rather than in single detached houses.

ARCHITECTURAL AND AESTHETIC SIGNIFICANCE Architectural and aesthetic values that demonstrate or are associated with: a particular style, period or designer, design values, form, scale, colour, texture and material of the place.

Mildenhall has architectural and aesthetic significance as an early example in Christchurch of a linear apartment block, as a Spanish Mission style building, and for their design by noted local architect William Trengrove.

Mildenhall was designed in 1935 by architect William Trengrove and completed in early 1936 by contractors Peter Graham and Son at a cost of more than ₤9,000. The block was designed in a stripped Spanish Mission style with Palladian windows, logia, and a recessed fountain on the Gloucester Street elevation. The interior of each of the self-contained flats was in keeping with the streamlined functional design of the period. Many similarly planned blocks were built across the city in the decades which followed. The Spanish Mission was a popular design alternative to the prevailing Art Deco and Moderne styles in the 1920s and 1930s. Its most prominent manifestations in Canterbury were Christchurch’s shops (1932) and The Lodge hotel in Hanmer (mid 1930s).

William Trengrove established his practice in Christchurch in 1922. He designed many houses in the city in the interwar period, and with the Statham block (1928, demolished) began a relationship between his firm and Cathedral Grammar School which is ongoing. In 1953 John Trengrove took over his father’s practice, which continues as Trengrove Architects.

TECHNOLOGICAL AND CRAFTSMANSHIP SIGNIFICANCE Technological and craftsmanship values that demonstrate or are associated with: the nature and use of materials, finishes and/or technological or constructional methods which were innovative, or of notable quality for the period.

Mildenhall has technological significance for its earthquake-resistant reinforced concrete construction, which reflected new building regulations brought in after the 1931 Hawkes’ Bay earthquake. The flats have exterior cavity walls to control temperature variation and ceilings were designed to eliminate the sound between the ground and first storeys.

CONTEXTUAL SIGNIFICANCE Contextual values that demonstrate or are associated with: a relationship to the environment (constructed and natural), a landscape, setting, group, precinct or streetscape; a degree of

Page 2 consistency in terms of type, scale, form, materials, texture, colour, style and/or detail; recognised landmarks and landscape which are recognised and contribute to the unique identity of the environment.

Mildenhall and its setting have contextual significance in relation to the historic western inner city residential area, which contains a wide variety of dwellings spanning the period from settlement to the present day. The block relates particularly to other prominent interwar blocks in the vicinity, including West Avon in Montreal Street and Victoria Mansions on Victoria Street (both 1936). Also close by at the intersection of Montreal and Gloucester Streets are two heritage-listed Victorian dwellings, the townhouse Orari (1894) and a c.1875 villa.

The setting of Mildenhall consists of a long narrow parcel of land that is largely covered by the listed building. There are trees planted along the east and west side boundaries and a carpark to the rear of the building. Mildenhall has landmark significance as it is built close to the street boundary and is easily visible from Gloucester Street behind a low wall and garden planting.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE Archaeological or scientific values that demonstrate or are associated with: the potential to provide information through physical or scientific evidence an understanding about social historical, cultural, spiritual, technological or other values of past events, activities, structures or people.

Mildenhall Flats and their setting have archaeological significance because they have the potential to provide archaeological evidence relating to past construction methods and materials, and human activity on the site, possibly including that which occurred prior to 1900. The site is shown as vacant in T S Lambert’s 1877 map of the central city.

ASSESSMENT STATEMENT

Mildenhall and its setting has overall heritage significance to the Christchurch district including Banks Peninsula. The flats have historical and social significance as an inter-war apartment block built at a time when this new typology was increasing in popularity. The flats have cultural significance as demonstration of the way in which the rapid social and cultural change of the interwar period led to new ways of living. The flats have architectural and aesthetic significance as an early example in Christchurch of a linear apartment block, as a Spanish Mission style building, and for their design by noted local architect William Trengrove. The flats have technological significance as they were described as earthquake resistant at the time of construction and employed techniques to control temperature and noise. The flats have contextual significance for their relationship to other heritage listed residential buildings within the vicinity, particularly nearby apartment blocks of the same period, and their contribution to the streetscape. The flats and setting are also of archaeological significance for the potential to hold archaeological evidence including that which pre dates 1900.

REFERENCES:

CCC Heritage files – Mildenhall

The Press 20 February 1936.

Page 3 Neil Roberts – ‘The history of the New Gallery Site’ Supplement to the Robert McDougall Art Gallery Bulletin No. 4, April-May 1997.

REPORT DATED: 11/02/2015

PLEASE NOTE THIS ASSESSMENT IS BASED ON INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF WRITING.DUE TO THE ONGOING NATURE OF HERITAGE RESEARCH, FUTURE REASSESSMENT OF THIS HERITAGE ITEM MAY BE NECESSARY TO REFLECT ANY CHANGES IN KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF ITS HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE.

PLEASE USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CCC HERITAGE FILES.

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