Following the devastating Hawkes Bay earthquake in 1931, a stunning new townscape was created to complement Hastings’ surviving Spanish Mission architecture.
World-class examples of Stripped Classical, Spanish Mission and Art Deco architecture – the major styles of the early 1930's – can still be seen today in facades, homes and commercial buildings in and around Hastings City.
Guided Tours
If you are interested in finding out more about Hastings' architecture, why not take a Spanish Mission Walk? The one-hour guided walks take participants along Russell Street and down Heretaunga Street to the Hawkes Bay Opera House.
This area is full of the fascinating architectural styles that either survived or emerged from the 1931 Hawkes Bay earthquake and includes Spanish Mission (e.g. Hawkes Bay Opera House), Art Deco (e.g. Dominion Restaurant) and Stripped Classical (e.g. Public Trust building). The walk also highlights the elements of Hastings’ Landmarks philosophy - enhanced building facades, colourful flower baskets and exciting pieces of public art from well-known local artists.
Guides are available for walks every Saturday at 11am over summer.
Key Points of Interest
The Methodist Church, 1932
Architects: Davies & Phillips
Hawkes Bay Opera House, 1915
Architect: Henry Eli White
Hastings Municipal Building, 1917
Architect: Albert Garnett
Credit Union Hawkes Bay, 1937
Architects: Davies & Phillips
Dominion Restaurant, 1935
Architect: Edmund Anscombe
The Hastings Health Centre (fomerly Hastings Post Office)
Architect: JT Mair, Government Architect
Las Palmas, 1935
Architects: Davies & Phillips
Westpoint Plaza (formerly Roach's Department Store), 1934
Architects: Davies & Phillips
Panache (formerly the Bank of New South Wales), 1934
Architect: Haughton & Mair
IMS (formerly HB Farmers), 1929
Architect: Edmund Anscombe
Villa D'Este, 1927
Architects: Davies, Garnett & Phillips
Hastings Visitor Information Centre (formerly Westerman's Department Store), 1932
Architect: Edmund Anscombe
Hastings Clock Tower, 1935
Architect: Sydney Chaplin
History
The Spanish Mission style originated in California, where Spanish missionaries had created an indigenous, adobe version of their native Spanish architecture. Buildings were influenced by the style popular in Spain at the time of their construction - baroque and renaissance. Spanish Mission, in all its variations, spread to other New World countries such as Australia and New Zealand, reaching the height of it's popularity between 1910 and 1940. The Hawkes Bay Opera House (formerly the Hastings Municipal Theatre) is a fine example of Spanish Mission Architecture.
Stripped Classical was a modernised version of the Classical Revival styles popular during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. It was favoured by those of conservative taste, and was frequently used on banks and public or commercial buildings when an image of respectable solidity was desired.
Art Deco was 'modern', conveying the new age spirit of progress and technology. It arrived in New Zealand in the late 1920's from Europe via the USA and was being adopted world-wide at the time.