Brandon’s Building (Former)

• 1930
• 150-152 Featherston Street, office building (00056:107:B9793)
• 1945
• 150-152 Featherston Street, bedroom (00056:301:B23827)
• 1963
• 150-152 Featherston Street, building additions - engine room (00058:315:C13672)
• 1963
• 150-152 Featherston Street, building additions - fire smoke doors (00058:275:C12194)
• 1968
• 150-152 Featherston Street, Level 3 alterations – offices (00058:555:C26495)
• 1969
• 150-152 Featherston Street, building alterations – offices (00058:648:C29946)
• 1977
• 150-152 Featherston Street, alterations to toilet facilities - toko baruh restaurant (00058:1106:C47818)
• 1980
• 150-152 Featherston Street, 8th floor - install fire hose reels throughout building (00058:1275:C54102)
• 1983
• 150-152 Featherston Street, Level 4 partitions and install new WC (00058:0:C62275)
• 1985
• 150-152 Featherston Street, office additions and alterations, 4th, 5th and 6th floors (00059:0:D1383)
• 1985
• 150-152 Featherston Street, office alterations, 2nd and 3rd floor (00058:0:C67252)
• 1986
• 150-152 Featherston Street, office Building Alterations, ground, 1st and 5th floors (00059:0:D2982)
• 1987
• 150-152 Featherston Street, office fitout, level 5 (00059:96:D6370)
• 2000
• Refurbishment of main foyer and first floor stairwell

• unknown
• Not Assessed

Not assessed

The former Brandon’s Building is an amalgam of several different architectural styles that were popular at the time of its construction, in particular the Chicago School, early 20th century New York Architecture, and Art Deco (although there are only vestiges of this style and only on the exterior). The exterior of this building, excluding the Edwardian Baroque derived corner, has many of the hall marks of early northern USA buildings. This is particularly evident in the strong horizontal emphasis to the base, incorporating the entrance, and the vertical ‘shafts’ of the walls right through to the corners, which were given greater emphasis and visual weight. Unlike the Chicago Buildings, with their dominant cornices over the buildings capital, Stewart has chosen to follow the pattern of New York buildings, including the decorative forms on the façade and the building cap. The original brass spandrel panels that were covered by sheet steel panels in c.2000 have since been reinstated, and this improves the aesthetic value of this, already fine, building.

The structure is a reinforced concrete frame on what appears to be a separate pad foundation. In this respect it is not as advanced as the later Agriculture House, with which it is often compared. Party walls and spandrels are reinforced concrete. The drawings show the floors to be reinforced concrete but the specification indicates that they were to be constructed of hollow terracotta blocks made at the Silverstream works of the Amalgamated Brick and Pipe Co. Partitions and walls to lifts and stairways were shown as brick masonry construction on the drawings, but most are likely to have been removed during renovations in 1980s and 2000s.

Reinforced concrete

Brick masonry

Terracotta infill to ‘beam & hollow block’ floors

Heart Totara joinery

Fibrous Plaster

Granite

Marble

Phillipine Mahogany interior office doors

Oak, varnished, exterior doors.

The setting of Riddiford House is on the intersection of Featherston and Brandon Streets, a prominent corner site. Its neighbour on Brandon Street is the 1910 Edwardian Classical building designed for Chapman Tripp, another successful law firm (WCC ref 17/38).

• Architectural

  Does the item have architectural or artistic value for characteristics that may include its design, style, era, form, scale, materials, colour, texture, patina of age, quality of space, craftsmanship, smells, and sounds?

  150 – 152 Featherston Street is a fine 1930s office building designed in an inter-war transitional style that incorporates elements of Art Deco, ‘Chicago’ and New York skyscraper style. It is notable for its distinctive vertical mouldings that adorn the exterior of the top floor, and for the distinctive embossed spandrel panels under each window.

• Group

  Is the item part of a group of buildings, structures, or sites that taken together have coherence because of their age, history, style, scale, materials, or use?

  The building has some group value along with its neighbour on Brandon Street - the 1910 Edwardian Classical building designed for Chapman Tripp, another successful law firm (WCC ref 17/38).

• Townscape

  Does the item have townscape value for the part it plays in defining a space or street; providing visual interest; its role as a landmark; or the contribution it makes to the character and sense of place of Wellington?

  This building has townscape value for the visual interest it adds to the Featherston streetscape. The building is notable for the skilful way in which it turns the corner between Featherston and Brandon Street and is a local minor landmark.

• Association

  Is the item associated with an important person, group, or organisation?

  This building and site have considerable historical significance due to their long association with the Brandon family, and their namesake legal practice, Brandons. Although this building was built during the Great Depression, it is a high quality building that was finished to a high standard. It is a powerful statement of the wealth, prestige and status of its original owners.

• Archaeological

  Does the item have archaeological value for its ability to provide scientific information about past human activity?

  This building is sited in the NZAA Central City Archaeological Area R27/270. The site is located on land that was occupied and reclaimed in the years before 1900

• Technological

  Does the item have technological value for its innovative or important construction methods or use of materials?

  The building has some technical value for its surviving panelled lift, machinery and floor indicators – these are original features that are rare in Wellington.

• Identity Sense Of Place Continuity

  Is the item a focus of community, regional, or national identity? Does the item contribute to sense of place or continuity?

  The building has had few intrusive external modern alterations or additions and contributes to the sense of place and continuity of Featherston and Brandon streets.

• Authentic

  Does the item have authenticity or integrity because it retains significant fabric from the time of its construction or from later periods when important additions or modifications were carried out?

  The interiors of this building have been significantly altered but the exterior is in relatively authentic condition, particularly in terms of design, materials, and workmanship.

• Representative

  Is the item a good example of the class it represents?

  This building is a good representative example of interwar architecture and was designed in a transitional style which incorporates elements of the Chicago School, New York Skyscraper, and Art Deco. The building is unusual for the vertical emphasis of its exterior, and forgoes a traditional overhanging cornice for ‘New York style’ heavy vertical mouldings. This is the only Wellington example of the use of such decoration.

• Importance

  Is the item important for any of the above characteristics at a local, regional, national, or international level?

  This is a locally important building due to its associations with prominent Wellingtonians and with a prominent Wellington business. It is also locally important for its architectural and aesthetic values, its contribution to the townscape and to the sense of place in Featherston Street, and for its exterior authenticity and authenticity of setting.

Not assessed

• New Zealand Institute of Architects Journal”, Vol. 36, no. 2. 1969.
• Wellington City Council. Wellington Heritage Building Inventory 2001: Non Residential Buildings. Wellington City Council, 2001.
• Archives: 00056:107:B9793
• Archives: 00056:301:B23827
• Archives: 00058:275:C12194
• Archives: 00058:315:C13672
• Archives: 00058:555:C26495
• Archives: 00058:648:C29946
• Archives: 00058:1106:C47818
• Archives: 00058:1275:C54102
• Archives: 00058:0:C62275
• Archives: 00058:0:C67252
• Archives: 00059:0:D1383
• Archives: 00059:0:D2982
• Archives: 00059:96:D6370

• Inventory Report
• 1930 plans

Not available