Colin Townshend's Audiovisual Building, Napier
Originally designed by architect H. Alfred Hill in 1932, the Audiovisual Building emerged as part of the city鈥檚 rebuilding efforts following the devastating 1931 Hawke鈥檚 Bay earthquake. Its clean lines, symmetrical form, and geometric detailing embody the international Art Deco style that became synonymous with Napier鈥檚 urban identity in the 1930s.
The building鈥檚 fa莽ade showcases a blend of vertical fluting, stepped parapets, and low-relief decorative motifs that typify the period鈥檚 architectural vocabulary. While modest in scale compared to grander civic landmarks, the Audiovisual Building captures the optimism and modernism of interwar New Zealand. The use of reinforced concrete, a common material in Napier鈥檚 post-quake reconstruction, reflects both functional necessity and the design sensibilities of the time.
Over the decades, the building has been adapted for various commercial purposes, including retail and office spaces. Today, its street-level storefronts contribute to the lively shopping scene along Emerson Street, one of Napier鈥檚 most popular pedestrian thoroughfares.
The building鈥檚 fa莽ade showcases a blend of vertical fluting, stepped parapets, and low-relief decorative motifs that typify the period鈥檚 architectural vocabulary. While modest in scale compared to grander civic landmarks, the Audiovisual Building captures the optimism and modernism of interwar New Zealand. The use of reinforced concrete, a common material in Napier鈥檚 post-quake reconstruction, reflects both functional necessity and the design sensibilities of the time.
Over the decades, the building has been adapted for various commercial purposes, including retail and office spaces. Today, its street-level storefronts contribute to the lively shopping scene along Emerson Street, one of Napier鈥檚 most popular pedestrian thoroughfares.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Napier. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Download The 黑料吃瓜网 App
Colin Townshend's Audiovisual Building on Map
Sight Name: Colin Townshend's Audiovisual Building
Sight Location: Napier, New Zealand (See walking tours in Napier)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Napier, New Zealand (See walking tours in Napier)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Napier, New Zealand
Create Your Own Walk in Napier
Creating your own self-guided walk in Napier is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Napier Art Deco Architecture Walk
Napier鈥檚 Art Deco architecture is the city鈥檚 most defining feature, drawing visitors from around the world to admire its vibrant facades and geometric elegance. After the devastating 1931 earthquake flattened much of the city, Napier was rapidly rebuilt in the architectural style of the day鈥擜rt Deco. The result is a remarkably cohesive urban landscape filled with zigzags, sunbursts,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.1 Km or 0.7 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.1 Km or 0.7 Miles
Napier Introduction Walking Tour
Napier sits on the eastern edge of New Zealand鈥檚 North Island, where the Pacific rolls in and the streets look like they gracefully ride the waves. Long before colonial maps, this was Ahuriri to the M膩ori, the island鈥檚 first inhabitants. In the 1800s it took the name Napier, after British soldier Sir Charles Napier, and grew into a thriving port and farming hub. Victorian and Edwardian... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles