Landmark House is a

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...

building located at 187–189 Queen Street in

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

, New Zealand. It was originally designed for the Auckland Electrical Power Board (AEPB) and constructed between 1928 and 1930. The architects responsible for the design were Alva Bartley and Thomas Edward Norman (Norman) Wade.

History

The building was constructed in celebration of electricity superseding gas and coal as the predominant sources of energy in Auckland. It was intentionally opened on the same day as the Department of Public Works opened Arapuni Dam. At the time of its construction, it was one of the tallest buildings in Auckland. Built in a bold and modern style, it was also the first building in Auckland to be floodlit and was proclaimed to have one of the fastest elevators in the country. The building was originally eight stories high with a ninth floor added in 1933. AEPB vacated the building in 1968, taking with them the panelled boardroom to their new headquarters in Nuffield Street, Newmarket. The interior of the building was substantially altered during the 1980s to work with the surrounding buildings. It was renovated again in 2000. Some original features of the lobby have been retained.

References

{{reflist Buildings and structures in Auckland Heritage New Zealand Category 1 historic places in the Auckland Region 1930 establishments in New Zealand 1920s architecture in New Zealand Auckland CBD Buildings and structures completed in 1930