Barber’s Buildings

• 1910
• Construction (8722)
• 1937
• Verandah in yard (B17297)
• 1960
• Verandah and fire escape (rear of building) (C9474)
• 1964
• Reinstate verandah (Cuba Street frontage) (C15984)
• 1996
• Alterations to façade (SR16920)
• 1999
• Strengthening (SR57692, SR53783). The street façade and building were strengthened. The building owner, Ian Borrin, received $25,000 from the WCC Earthquake Risk Building Fund.

• 1915 - 1930
• Barber & Co Barber & Co (5, dyers & cleaners (Stones 1915-16, 1920, 1925, 1930).
• 1935
• various tenants in shop at 125 and floors above. Includes:
• 1935 - 1940
• Victoria Laundry Co (Stones 1935,1940)
• 1950 - 1962
• Blake Electrical (Wises1950-51, 1955, 1961-62)
• 1955 - 1968
• New Zealand Communist Party (Wises1955, 1961-62, 1967-68)
• 1955 - 1968
• Unity Centre Inc (Wises1955, 1961-62, 1967-68)
• 1961 - 1968
• Maritime Social Club (Wises1961-62, 1967-68)
• 1971 - 1975
• Dorothy Daniels Dancing Academy (Wises1971-72, 1975)
• 1980 - 1990
• Deidre Tarrant Academy of Dancing (Wises1980, 1985, NEED 1990).
• unknown
• Various tenants in shop at 123. Includes:
• 1915 - 1920
• Stamford & Co, ladies' hairdressers (Stones1915-16, 1920

Not assessed

The Barber’s Building is a three storey Edwardian Commercial building and the lively, decorative Edwardian Baroque /Beaux Arts façade is one of the finest and most elaborate in the Cuba Street Heritage Area. 

The original ground floor shop fronts and rusticated columns have unfortunately been replaced in a mish-mash of styles and finishes, but the façade above verandah level is substantially unaltered. The façade here is carefully articulated and the windows and ornamentation are deeply modelled. The unique pair of top storey lunette windows high-light the symmetrical composition of its façade and make a singular contribution to the character of the street. The square-headed and segmentally-arched windows on the upper floors are also prominently moulded and recessed. The façade is notable for the combination of rendered brick ornamentation, and for the polychromatic bands of rendered and plain facing brick, and three of these elaborate polychromatic pilasters tie the central window elements together. Although the polychromatic effect has been altered at the base of the pilasters where the brick and render has been over-painted. The building is capped by an arched pediment, with a heavily-decorated cornice below, and stucco festoons. This intriguing façade makes a strong positive contribution to the lively Edwardian character of the Cuba Street precinct.

The building is comprised of two separate retail units on the ground floor, and dance/ ballet studios on the floors above. The interior retains significant areas of original building fabric particularly in the stairwell which features a fine timber stair, skirting, panelled doors (including ironmongery) and the t&g timber wall linings.

The construction is load-bearing brick masonry with timber roof trusses. There is a modern sprung dance floor at the second floor level.

This block is the principal pedestrian zone of Cuba Mall and includes the local landmark of the Bucket Fountain and a variety of landscaping, trees and street furniture and a number of interesting and important buildings.

This block and the next have the highest concentration of Edwardian commercial buildings in Cuba Street and consequently have the highest architectural, heritage and streetscape value in Cuba Street. The most important of the surviving Edwardian buildings are found on this block, including the Wellington Working Men’s Club, Murphy’s Irish Bar (no. 119-123), Barber’s Building and the Hotel Bristol.

Barber’s Building is between the Bristol Hotel to the south, and no. 119-121 (a two-storey building designed by Crichton in 1900) to the north.

The characteristic scale of buildings on this block is three tall stories, a level defined by the Wellington Working Men’s Club and reflected in the Farmers Building, Hotel Bristol, Barbers Building, and others. There are a number of two-storied buildings, including Murphy’s Irish Bar (no. 119-123), Iko Iko and the former Gear Meat building; the tallest building on the block is no. 126 (occupied by the Friendly Bakery) at a high four stories.

• 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?

  This three storey Edwardian Baroque / Beaux Arts design has architectural value for its inventive and decorative façade. It is one of Wellington’s most idiosyncratic heritage buildings.

• 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?

  This building is part of a row of Edwardian commercial buildings on the east side of Cuba Street which makes a strong positive contribution to the Cuba Street Heritage Area.

• 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 distinctive building makes a strong contribution to Cuba Street. It sits in the heart of the highest concentration of Edwardian commercial buildings in Wellington, the centrepiece of the Cuba Street Heritage Area.

• Association

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

  This building has historic value for its association with the Barber family and notable Wellington architect William Crichton. 

• Association

  Is the item associated with an important historic event, theme, pattern, phase, or activity?

  This building is associated with the strong growth and development of Cuba Street during the Edwardian period, which resulted in the building of many fine commercial buildings.

• Archaeological

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

  It is known that there has been pre-1900 human activity on the site; hence this site has potential archaeological value.

• 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?

  This building is part of a group of Edwardian commercial buildings on Cuba Street which contribute to the sense of place and continuity of the Cuba Street Heritage Area.

• Sentiment Connection

  Is the item a focus of community sentiment and connection?

  This building has a long history of use as a physical culture and dance studio. For many years the studio was one of Wellington’s focal points of ballet life, and since the 1980s it has been home to Footnote Dance.

• 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 façade of this building remains largely intact with a high level of original building fabric, despite modifications and the addition of a balcony.

• Local Regional National International

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

  This building is of local importance, as it contributes to the Cuba Street Heritage Area.

  
  

• Rare

  Is the item rare, unique, unusual, seminal, influential, or outstanding?

  This building is rare for its design, which makes it one of the most distinctive of all of Cuba Street’s many fine heritage buildings.

• Representative

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

  The building is also strongly representative of the architecture and history found in Cuba Street.

Not assessed

• Barber, W, and Co.”, The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District], 1897. Accessed 25 June 2012. http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc01Cycl-t1-body-d4-d42-d2.html
• Councillor William Henry Peter Barber”, The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District], 1897. Accessed 25 June 2012.
• Crichton, William”, The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District], 1897. Accessed 18 June 2012.
• Historic Places Trust, “Crichton, McKay & Haughton”, Professional Biographies. Accessed 18 June 2012.
• Shennan, Jennifer. 'Daniels, Margaret Dorothy Louise - Biography', from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 19-Jan-12
• Wellington City Council, Cuba Street Heritage Area spreadsheet (blocks 1-3).
• (Wellington City Council: Unpublished report, prepared for Plan Change 48, 2006).
• CT340/114
• Stones 1915-16, 1920, 1925, 1930.
• Wises 1980, 1985
• Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 95, 20 October 1915, Page 1
• Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 121, 18 November 1922, Page 4Progress, Volume V,
• Issue 10, 1 August 1910, Page 352
• Wellington Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2560, 20 August 1867, Page 1)

• Inventory Record
• 1910 plans

Not available