Dec 19, 2025 Exteriors & Interiors
We continued our tour of Art Deco architecture today, walking around the CBD with all the other tourists and Christmas shoppers!
There are so many examples of the Art Deco style it is overwhelming!
You are allowed to enter the lobbies or vestibules in several of the buildings to see the interior details.
The lines are so clean and the motifs so angular. Napier has so many examples of this style because the February 1931 earthquake and resulting fires destroyed most of the town’s central business district. The town was quick to begin rebuilding soon after so most of the business district was rebuilt between 1932 to 1939! A drive to renovate and restore the iconic architecture was begun in 1983 when several buildings were slated for demolition. The community rallied and the process is ongoing. There are several buildings that still need TLC but Napier has turned the destruction and rebuilding due to a tragic earthquake into a tourist mecca through foresight and dedication to preserving their legacy!