Restoration of Whanganui's AE Kitchen building wins silver in NZ Commercial Project Awards

The restored AE Kitchen building is a classic example of Edwardian baroque architecture.

The AE Kitchen building in Victoria Ave has won a silver award in the heritage/restoration category of the New Zealand Commercial Project Awards.

The awards, run by the Registered Master Builders Association, set the benchmark for commercial construction in New Zealand.

The work on the Whanganui heritage building, owned by Kerry Girdwood, was done by DML Construction.

The judges said the two-storey masonry building at 15 Victoria Ave is a classic example of Edwardian baroque architecture.

"The completed project has brought this old beauty back her former glory. With polished wooden floors throughout, radiator heating and restored wooden detailing, this once empty main street building is now a warm, safe inner-city apartment with two separate commercial rental incomes below."

In December Girdwood told the Chronicle the cost of the entire project "will be pushing $1 million", with the seismic works budget $250,000 plus $47,100 for further strengthening of the facade.

"The building dictated an awful lot of what needed to happen," she said.

"The decisions had to be appropriate to the building. That turned out to be a very good decision - expensive but good."

Girdwood lives in the upper storey of the building and has tenants in the two shops on the ground floor.

The building was designed by architect TH James and built in 1908/09 by Nicolas Meuli for dispensing chemist Albert Edward Kitchen.