A huge earthquake, then a fire, devastated Napier’s inner city on February 3, 1931. Out of the ashes grew Napier, Art Deco City, an international icon of Art Deco style and sophistication. Nowhere else can you see such a variety and concentration of buildings in the styles of the 1930s. Stripped Classical, Spanish Mission, and above all, Art Deco – the Jazz Age style.
Napier’s Art Deco is unique, reflecting the indigenous Maori culture in its motifs, and featuring the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Chicago School in the buildings of local architect Louis Hay. Today it is a major tourism attraction for the city.
There are several ways to see Art Deco Napier. The first is to walk. If you know what to look for, you can walk just about anywhere and see some examples of 1930s style. Better still is to get some assistance. An Art Deco booklet (NZ$2.50) is available to help you on a self-guided 1.5-hour walk through Napier. There is a morning guided walk which I must recommend. It leaves from the Visitor Information Centre, Marine Parade at 10am every day and ends at the Art Deco shop. The 1-hour walk is conducted by a volunteer guide and includes a booklet, refreshments, and a video screening. At NZ$8, it is good value.
There is an afternoon walk that begins and ends at the Art Deco Shop at 2pm daily from October 1 to June 30 and Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday for the rest of the year. It includes an introductory slide presentation, the walk, including the interior of the Municipal Theatre, refreshments, and a video screening (NZ$12). A further alternative is to use the Marewa Meander leaflet (NZ$1) and discover house-and-garden styles from the 1930s and 1940s in Napier’s Art Deco suburb, Marewa. Finally, there is the Art Deco tour map, which guides you on a self-drive tour through downtown Napier to historic Ahuriri (home of the National Tobacco Company Building), and then through Marewa to the Earthquake Memorial Grave at Park Island. The tour then goes on to Taradale, Hastings, Havelock North, and then Te Mata Peak before returning to Napier via wineries and orchards. This trip can take the whole day.
In February of each year, Napier celebrates its Art Deco heritage with a major celebration. The program includes wining and dining, vintage cars and planes, jazz concerts, the Great Gatsby Picnic, and more. Locals tell me it is something not to be missed. It might be worthwhile adjusting your itinerary to suit.