One of Napier’s most prominent art deco buildings gets facelift

Art Deco Trust general manager Jeremy Smith (left) with building owners Wendy and Graeme McLean (and dog Flame). Restored brass decorations are visible above the entry. Photo / NZME

One of Napier’s most prominent art deco buildings has received a facelift.

The ASB Bank building in Napier’s CBD has received a fresh paint job and had exterior brass decorations and Māori artwork restored.

The building’s architecture and features annually attracts thousands of photographs from visitors.

Heritage NZ lists it as “Napier’s and possibly New Zealand’s tour de force in the use of Māori decoration on a European-style building”.

The freshly-painted ASB Building in Napier. Photo / NZME

It was built after the 1931 Napier earthquake and opened in 1934 with an apple-green-coloured exterior.

In recent weeks, owners Graeme McLean and Wendy McLean-Smith have spent almost $60,000 freshening up the exterior.

As well as a fresh paint job, the renovation work has included restoring stunning brass decorations and fittings on the building, which had previously been painted over.

Māori artwork and decorations on the exterior have also been enhanced and repainted.

McLean grew up in Hawke’s Bay and returned with his wife about six years ago when they bought the building and the adjoining building.

He said he was very pleased with the renovation.

“As we have found out more and more about the building, it has given us impetus and interest in what we can do with the resources we have to make it better.”

He said they were also considering renovating and restoring the inside of the building, to protect its heritage, in years to come.

Historic plans suggest there could be some treasures hidden inside the building, including artworks under the carpet and possibly marble at the bottom of the pillars.

McLean-Smith said she had long had a passion for restoration work.

“I used to be a physiotherapist and a lot of my life has been doing healing work, and so anything I can restore or fix up [I love doing].”

Art Deco Trust general manager Jeremy Smith said the couple and the workers had done an “amazing job” and “it is great to see owners investing” in historic buildings.

He said a grant had helped toward the work from the Art Deco Trust, through the Robert McGregor Heritage Fund.

The ASB Bank building (also known as the Former Bank of NZ building) is one of 18 buildings in Napier with a “Category One” status from Heritage NZ - the highest status available.

The building is an art deco-era building in the stripped classical style.

The Dome building, another historic art deco building nearby, also recently received a fresh paint job.

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.