Unwrapped

File under: waterfront, architecture, heritage, art deco, Wellington

The scaffolding is finally coming off the Chaffers Dock building, revealing its most distinctive feature: the southwest corner.

Okay, so it's not quite so dramatic without the gratuitous Photoshopping, but it's still a delightful example of Art Deco streamlining, and makes it clear why this is one of Edmund Anscombe's most important buildings. While it was still wrapped in scaffolding, I had a hard time convincing visitors to Wellington that this bulky, blocky mass was a significant part of our heritage.

The new colour scheme, while a little bit dull, brings out some of the detail and emphasises the horizontal lines of the building. I'm not so convinced that the new penthouse floor fits in with the rhythms and materials of the building (what's with that Monteiths-bar stone cladding?), but I'll reserve judgement until it's a little bit closer to completion.