Apartment Building

• 1929 - 1929
• Oriental Bay [152-154 Oriental Parade], block of flats (00056:92:B8641)
• 1931 - 1931
• 00056:120:B10882; 152-154 Oriental Parade, dwelling additions and alterations
• 1940 - 1940
• 152-154 Oriental Parade, wash-house (00056:249:B20628)
• 1941 - 1941
• 152-154 Oriental Parade, dwelling alterations (00056:268:B21795)
• 1959 - 1959
• 152-154 Oriental Parade, retaining wall (00058:106:C5175)
• 1987 - 1987
• 152-154 Oriental Parade, dwelling demolition (00059:137:D7625)
• 1991 - 1991
• 154 Oriental Parade, additions (00059:447:E22054)
• 1991 - 1991
• 154 Oriental Parade, dwelling additions and alterations (00059:456:E22358)
• 1992 - 1992
• 154 Oriental Parade, flat additions and alterations (00059:559:E25685)
• 1992 - 1992
• 154 Oriental Parade, flat additions and alterations (00059:559:E25692)
• 2005 - 2005
• 154 Oriental Parade, Unit 1, replacement of hot water cylinder with Infinity water heater (00078:1581:133302)
• 2009 - 2009
• Oriental Parade, 154-156 Oriental Parade, Construction of an anchored mesh rockfill above 154-156 Oriental Parade (00078:3344:197257)
• 2011 - 2011
• 154 Oriental Parade, new bathroom and refurbishment (00078:3970:234896)

Not assessed

Not assessed

The apartment building is constructed in reinforced concrete, six storeys high, and rectangular in plan. The design of the street façade is formal and divided into three parts; ground floor garages, flats, and recessed penthouse floor. The building style is Classical with a Chicago style influence in the arrangement of the base, shaft, and capital. Today it has been stripped of many of its decorative features and painted over, so the buildings style is harder to define. The most obviously decorated portion remaining is the rusticated façade of the garage.

The main part of the building is made up of a series of flats; one per floor with the exception of the 5th and 6th floors which are combined. A bay protrudes on the left hand side of the main elevation. The first and second floors are glazed with the third floor open. On the right hand side there are balconies with, again, those on the first and second floor glazed. There is little in the way of fenestration on the other elevations, but the rear façade has a row of windows on one side and back stairs on the other. The present layout of the floors is not known. Few changes are evident from the permit records, with the exception of the top two flats which were substantially altered in 1992.

Reinforced concrete

The building is set at the southern end of Oriental Parade and is seen against the green background of the bluff overlooked by St Gerard’s Monastery (with the site boundary incorporating a large amount of the bluff). Although its immediate numbers are a two storey house, a work site, and a tall apartment building. It sits well with the taller apartment buildings in the area, and its vertical proportion contrasts interestingly with the Freyberg Pool opposite and makes an important contribution to the townscape in this area of Oriental Bay.

• 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 apartment building is of some architectural value, as much of the building’s original form and structure remain intact, but the loss of decoration on the front façade has robbed the building of its early visual appeal.

• 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 is tall and narrow and sited close to Freyberg Pool, it contributes significant visual interest to the streetscape of Oriental Parade.

• Association

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

  This building has considerable historical significance for its association with Cyril Mitchell who designed the building, and with Allan Mitchell who formed the prominent architectural firm Mitchell and Mitchell with his brother and also lived in the building.

• Archaeological

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

  The building is sited in the NZAA Central City Archaeological Area R27/270, the risk is unknown, but accidental discovery could occur.

• 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 apartment contributes to the sense of place and continuity on Oriental Parade due to its long standing place on the street and its significant historical associations.

• 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 building retains its original form and structure, so retains a significant amount of material from the time of its construction, the loss and painting over of the decoration on the front façade has, however, robbed the building of some of its visual appeal.

• Representative

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

  This building is a representative example of the work of C.H. Mitchell and is a good example of a Classical apartment building influenced by the Chicago style.

• Importance

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

  This apartment building is locally significant due to its historical association with a prominent architectural practice, its architectural and townscape values, and for its sense of authenticity.

Not assessed

• Boffa Miskell and Chris Cochran 2001, Wellington Heritage Building Inventory, Appendix III – Wellington Architects; Evening Post, 24 February 1949;
• Fill, Barbara 1984, ‘C.H. Mitchell, 1891-1949’, NZHPT Wellington Regional Committee, Wellington; ‘Mitchell and Mitchell’, NZHPT Architect’s Glossary, NZHPT, Wellington
• Murray, Russell. 154 Oriental Parade. Wellington City Council: Unpublished report, prepared for Plan Change 53, 2005.

• Inventory Report

Not available