L o c o v i s u a l
DSDN171 Blog
5
Old Bank of New Zealand
The beautiful building which stands strong on the corner of
Manners and Cuba Street was not always a structure to sell fast food burgers to
fast passed workers but it was once a Bank of New Zealand. With numerous banks
consisting over wellington designed by William Turnbell he included his son in
his practice to produce the 5th bank in Wellington, “ Willian
designed on his own the 1913 BNZ Te Aro on the corner of Manners and Cuba”
(McGil, (1997,p129) which now we all know by Burger King on Manners. With a
heart constructed with of steel and concrete the exterior is exuberantly
decorated with detailing, for example “large tympani, repetitive pediments,
buttress-like pilasters and broken entablatures” (Norberg-Schulz,
(1972p184-185), which expresses the baroque form that the building displays.
Pillars outlining the entrance way stand strong indicating the path way for
users of the building shown in image two with lion heads decoration the wall
sides with more decretive shapes linking to the overall baroque style, “ The
Bank of New Zealand Te Aro branch in the center of town has had the decorative
impact of its elaborate pillars and pediments and fine plaster curls” (McGill, (1997,
p129). The bank was formerly used as a place to store and retrieve money for
the citizens of wellington. I believe that the baroque style was used by
Turnball as is expressed power and class above others in the period the
building was made, “Baroque style symbolized commercial power” (Norberg-Schulz,
(1972p184-185). After being a student at Victoria Design School I can see
behind the Burger King façade that the building has been covered in and
appreciate the architecture for what it really is.
Reference List:
-
Christian Noberg-Schulz. (1972). Baroque
Architecture. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York
Retrieved from Te Waharoa Victoria University
of Wellington Library
- David McGill. (1997). Landmarks – Notable
Historic Buildings of New
Zealand. Godwit Publishing
Limited, New Zealand
Retrieved from Te Waharoa
Victoria University of Wellington Library
No comments:
Post a Comment