People's Palace Hotel (Former) main building

• unknown
• OC 7857- construction
• 1917
• 10544 - additions at the rear (facing Dunlop Terrace)
• 1952
• 213 Cuba Street, convert annex to flat (00056:444:B33787)
• 1986
• 213 Cuba Street, refurbish hotel (00059:52:D5044)
• 2000
• SR67781 - seismic strengthening and fit out of new restaurant
• 2001
• SR76161 - seismic strengthening stage one
• 2002 - 2003
• SR86099 – seismic upgrade to levels 1 and 2, additions to level 3, new interior levels 1 and 2, upgrade of office/reception and stairs

• 1910 - 1975
• People's Palace Hotel (Stones 1910-11, 1915-16, 1920, 1925, 1930, 1935, 1940, 1945, Wises 1950-51, 1955, 1961-62, 1967-68, 1971-2, 1975)
• 1980 - 1985
• Railton Hotel (Wises 1980, 1985)
• 1990
• Trekkers Hotel (Wises 1990).
• unknown
• Various retail tenants include draper, butchers, chemist, tea rooms, frock shop, clothing retailers, photographers & travel centre

Not assessed

The People’s Palace Hotel at 207-219 Cuba Street is a good representative example of an Edwardian Classical hotel. Its grand façade belies the fact that it was built as a shelter or refuge for the urban poor, and as affordable accommodation for the travelling working class.

The building was originally designed as a three-storey hotel that was constructed in load bearing brick masonry with Jarrah floor and roof joists. The exterior consists of six bays, symmetrically arranged around a central segment that signals the main entrance to the building. “People’s Palace” is moulded onto the entablature above the first and second windows. In each of the bays there is a pair of windows, recessed into plain heads on the first floor and segmental arches on the second floor. The bays are separated by vestigial pilasters, and there is a frieze between the two upper floors inset with vermiculated moulding.

The fourth-floor and elaborate cornice/parapet were built in c.2004. The proportions of the new windows and the stylised design of the window heads, the frieze, cornice, and pediment are all modern features that are relatively sympathetic to the existing building.

The former People’s Palace at 207-219 Cuba Street is part of a large two-hotel ‘CQ’ development that also incorporates the former People’s Palace Hotel – northern annexe (WCC 16/89.3), the timber façade of 221-225 Cuba (WCC 16/89.5), and the façade of a pleasant c.1920 two-storey stripped Classical commercial building (WCC Cuba St Heritage Area – contributor).  The two retained facades form part of the street-edge of the southernmost hotel in this development. The bulk of the hotel is set back from the street in the form of two, tall, towers that are somewhat taller than their neighbours. The jumbled grey modern shop-fronts to the south complete the hotel development and are, along with the functional Ellmers building (with its distinctive concrete ‘shod’ verandah posts), non-contributors to the Heritage Area.

The ‘CQ’ hotel development is set in the Cuba Street Heritage Area on a section of Cuba Street between Vivian and Abel Smith streets. This stretch of Cuba Street has a startling entrance at the southern end of great architectural and cultural contrast. It sets the extremely dignified former National Bank building (now up-market restaurant Logan Brown) opposite the simple, if dignified, Morgan’s building. The remainder of the block has undergone considerable change in the last 20 years which has impacted on the overall integrity of the heritage streetscape. The scale of the block is predominantly two and three storeys, with the notable exception of the current and future hotel complex and Booth House. The street edge line is fragmented in this block with many gaps and breaks and the heritage character of the street is undermined with many poorly-considered modern buildings. There are, however, some individual buildings that have high heritage value and remain a strong presence in the streetscape.

The building makes a positive contribution to the Cuba Street Heritage Area

• 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?

  The former People’s Palace Hotel at 207-219 Cuba Street is a fine representative example of an Edwardian Hotel. The fourth floor (and parapet) is a modern (2004) intervention and features stylised Classical ornamentation that is relatively sympathetic to the original design. 

• 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 was converted in 1928 to form an addition to the adjoining original People’s Palace (1908) by the Salvation Army who owned both buildings. It is a part of a group of buildings that were owned by the organisation in Cuba Street. 

• 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 significant townscape value for the visual interest that it adds to the Cuba Streetscape and as a part of the Cuba Street Heritage Area.  It has one of the longest facades on Cuba Street, and the scale, materials and style of this building contribute to the townscape of Cuba Street. 

• Association

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

  This building is primarily associated with the Salvation Army for whom the building was constructed and who owned it for over 70 years.  

• Association

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

  The building was one of many People’s Palace hotels that were built by the Salvation Army in Australian and New Zealand cities in the late 19^th and early 20^th century. Although these buildings were generally built as grand Victorian or Edwardian hotels, their grandeur belied their use as refuges or shelters for the urban poor, and as cheap accommodation for travelling working class people. Of the three People’s Palace hotels built in New Zealand, only this Cuba Street building and its northern annexe remain. 

• Archaeological

  The building was one of many People’s Palace hotels that were built by the Salvation Army in Australian and New Zealand cities in the late 19th and early 20th century. Although these buildings were generally built as grand Victorian or Edwardian hotels, their grandeur belied their use as refuges or shelters for the urban poor, and as cheap accommodation for travelling working class people. Of the three People’s Palace hotels built in New Zealand, only this Cuba Street building and its northern annexe remain.

  This building is included in the NZAA Central City Archaeological Area R2/270, is in an area known to have had pre 1900 human activity, and known to have sites of significance to Maori. The likelihood of archaeological materials being present is likely. 

• 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.

• Symbolic

  Does the item have symbolic, commemorative, traditional, spiritual or other cultural value for the community who has used and continues to use it?

  The building retains some symbolic value for its link with the humanitarian, social and religious work of the Salvation Army. 

• 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 exterior of this building retains significant amounts of original material and has had few modifications that impact upon it negatively. Despite the additional storey, this building has authenticity and integrity, of materials, design, workmanship, and setting. 

  
  

• 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 for its contribution to the Cuba Street Heritage Area. It is a representative building that retains economic and functional uses as well as retaining a significant amount of original material and authenticity.

Not assessed

• Kelly, Michael, and Russell Murray. Cuba Street Heritage Area Report. Wellington City Council: Unpublished report, prepared for Plan Change 48, 2006.
• Wellington City Council. Wellington Heritage Building Inventory 2001: Non-Residential Buildings. Wellington City Council, 2001.
• Wellington City Council. Cuba Street Heritage Area spreadsheet (blocks 1-3). Wellington City Council: Unpublished report, prepared for Plan Change 48, 2006.
• 00056:444:B33787
• 00059:52:D5044

• Inventory Report
• 1907 plans

Not available