Robert McGregor

Robert McGregor has found a niche space in writing attractive small books on Napier and Hawkes Bay (New Zealand ) history. published by the Art Deco Trust of Napier this book fits into a series. It is a small colourful well illustrated souvenir of a visit to Napier on the East coast of North Island. Napier is a small town very beautifully sited on the Pacific Ocean, but had the misfortune to also lie on an earthquake fault line as indeed does much of that country. In 1931 Napier and Hawkes Bay were destroyed by earthquake and the resultant fire. The death toll for the two close towns was 261 people . This was a natural disaster of note and can be compared to the earthquakes that have devastated Christchurch on the South Island two years ago. Napier rose again as an new reconstructed planned town between 1931 and 1933 . It was a time when the new International Style of Architecture was the rage and as this was a small town buildings such as hotels, cinemas, businesses, and homes were built to last . More significantly the fact that Napier did not grow into a city meant that there was no later demolition in favour of high rise post war buildings. The town was well served by a group of architects in touch with the latest developments who brought Art Deco, International style, Spanish mission, the Chicago school and stripped classical styles of buildings to Napier . Today the town is proud of what has become its art deco heritage and it is a Heritsge that draws people to visit and walk the pedestrianized streets, When we were there the Great British Vintage car rally was in town and the carnival atmosphere on the seaside promenade was lively and very retro. You can live the art deco life totally here. Napier calls itself the art deco city of the world but it really is a delightful , very self conscious and very expensive open air museum . The delight lies in the careful preservation of art deco frontages, and decoration in steel , plaster and cement . Plus no building is more than 2 storeys high .. an anti earthquake protection feature but also it makes for human scale and easy accessibility for viewing and grasping style and flair. The great art deco high rise buildings are still to be seen in places like New York, Miami and Johannesburg . Post depression property booms and an embracing of the new styles that sprang from the Bauhaus shaped cityscapes and new cities in a number of places, This book does Napier proud... Lovely photographs in colour , with clear labels and just the right amount of information for a general overview . If you plan to visit Napier book ahead as we found this town the most expensive in New Zealand (Wellington was far cheaper ) .… (more)