Napier War Memorial Women’s Rest rooms renovation begins after decade of closure

Work has started on the renovation of Napier’s former War Memorial Women’s Rest rooms which, after being out of action for more than a decade, will become home of the Art Deco Trust.

An architectural image of the former Napier War Memorial Women’s Rest rooms and community rooms once they’re renovated for a new life as the headquarters of the Napier Art Deco Trust. Image / Supplied.

But trust general manager and heritage manager Jeremy Smith is not yet committing to a timeline for when the trust will begin operating from the buildings in northern Clive Square, which opened on Anzac Day in 1926.

The buildings, fronting Tennyson St and now known as Memorial Square, also include the new Cenotaph, all commemorating those who served and perished in the 1914-1918 war.

Partly damaged in the 1931 Hawke’s Bay Earthquake, it was still able to be used as a centrepiece of temporary business centre Tin Town, was fully restored by the end of 1934, and, having become a base for community and social services and varying clubs, was substantially renovated in 1993 to mark the Women’s Suffrage centenary.

After being repurposed as the Memorial Square Community Rooms, the building was closed in 2013 after failing an earthquake risk assessment.

It has since stood idle and fenced off for a decade while the city council considered whether to restore it or demolish it.

The restoration of the Louis Hay-designed single-storey building is being done by the trust in conjunction with the Napier City Council, which will continue to own the premises.

The Council and trust agreed on the future in 2022 and have been working on funding arrangements, which includes grants, sponsorship and donations. The facilities will be managed by the trust as a community facility for meetings and other gatherings.

While the trust says the restoration is expected to be completed by mid-April, Smith is realistic in an era where construction timelines can be problematical.

He says, when asked when the trust will have moved from its current site at the corner of Herschell and Tennyson streets, near the MTG museum and art gallery and Marine Parade: “Maybe September next year? I wouldn’t like to say.”

It won’t be in time for the annual Art Deco Festival, on February 13-16, with the trust intent to ensure that by the time the restoration is complete, it will have retained as much of the “heritage fabric” of the building as possible, including floors, doors and windows, in keeping with its aims across the city.

The first stage was the removal of under-floor asbestos, and last week, with the design work of architect Gavin Cooper, Napier firm Alexander Construction moved on-site to start the refurbishment, and Smith said: “Who knows what they might find next.”