Art Deco Touring

May 19, 2017 · by Dano · in New Zealand

Originating in Paris just before WW1, Art Deco style was an attempt to visually enhance the appearance of objects through the use of symmetrical, geometric designs. In architecture that meant the incorporation of decorations and embellishments with hard edges, geometric shapes, floral and sunrise patterns. Napier has all this and a bit more.

There are plenty of guided tours ranging from walking to touring in a 1930’s car, but we decided to take a walk through town to see if we could spot these artifacts ourselves. Didn’t take long to notice almost every building had, in one form or another, an Art Deco motif or design. Pretty cool! Although the original use of these buildings has changed, the theater is now a clothing store, the motifs and embellishments are still there and well maintained. I met a local man named Maxwell Burns who is in the business of travel & tourism who talked to me about the different buildings and the town. Max grew up here so he was a wealth of information.

Old movie theater

Unassuming fountain during the day

But at night…..

So if you’re into Art Deco, Napier is your place. They even have a couple of festivals each year to celebrate their unique flair complete with Gatsby and Prohibition parties!