Former Levin and Co. Warehouse

No.3 or 4 Store Kaiwarra, No. 3 or 4 Warehouse Kaiwarra

9 - 13 Kaiwharawhara Road, Kaiwharawhara, Wellington
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Image: WCC - Charles Collins, 2015
Image: WCC - Charles Collins, 2015
Extent: Cityview GIS 2013
Extent: Cityview GIS 2013
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  • Constructed

    1924 - 1924

  • Architect(s)

    Unknown

  • Builder(s)

  • 9-13 Kaiwharawhara Road is a good representative example of an early 20th century wool-warehouse built in a functional/industrial style. The building is notable for the south, School Road, facade that reveals a handsome and well-balance two-storey brick elevation

    This building is historically significant for its association with the Levin family, and in particular, William Hort Levi, a distinguished merchant and philanthropist. This building is the largest tangible example of the achievements of the family business, Levin & Co.

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  • close History

    • Levin and Co. was a very successful stock and station agency and importing and exporting company. It is most closely associated with William Hort Levin (1845-1893) but the company was actually founded by N.H. Levin, William’s father, and C.J. Pharazyn in 1841. Following his father’s retirement in 1868 William Levin acquired control over the company, which he held until his premature death in 1893. Levin was an investor in the Wellington-Manawatu Railway - the town of Levin is named after him - and a notable philanthropist.

      After 1900 the company appears to have made its greatest profits from the export of wool. It was based in Wellington and, in common with other exporters; it built great warehouses to house and process the wool clip that came from the lower North Island and upper South Island. Levin and Co.’s warehouses were built at Kaiwharawhara. A large warehouse (known as No. 1) was built between the railway, Station Road and the Hutt Road in 1912. This building was designed by Crichton and McKay and destroyed by a huge fire in 1948. It was rebuilt soon after.

      In the meantime, with the wool trade ever expanding, Levin and Co. built several new warehouse buildings in Kaiwharawhara. A new warehouse named ‘Store 2’ was constructed at the corner of Kaiwharawhara Road and the Hutt Road at some time before 1920, this building has since been demolished. Contractor A.E Fay built a further warehouse that was completed in January 1924, and architect James Bennie also designed a wool-store for a Kaiwarra (Kaiwharawhara) site in November 1924, but it is unclear if this was commissioned by Levin and Co.

      The building at 9-13 Kaiwharawhara Road is likely to have been named either warehouse/store 3 or warehouse/store 4 and was built in the period between 1924 & 1925. It is not certain who the architect of the warehouse was, but it is likely to have been either James Bennie, who called for tenders for a wool-store building in Kaiwarra in 1924, or Crichton and McKay who were responsible for the design of the No.1 store.

      In the second half of the 20th century, better road transport and a drop in wool production saw wool storage decline in Wellington. In the late 1960s containerisation further reduced demand for storage and the majority of wool was sent through Napier port.

      As demand for space fell, the warehouse acquired new tenants, initially (from the late 1950s) Master Butchers Co-op, which made major changes to the building in 1972 and 1978. It was joined in the late 1970s by Masterpet, who made great changes to the appearance of the Kaiwharawhara Road elevation. The Body Shop currently occupies the building.

    • Modifications close
      • 1924 - 1924
      • 1972 - 1972
      • Alterations and Additions SR9057304
      • 1978 - 1978
      • Alterations and additions SR9066726
      • 1998 - 1998
      • Earthquake Strengthening SR23299
      • c.2006 - c.2008
      • Roof re-clad
    • Occupation History close
      • 1924 - c.1950
      • Levin & Co.
      • c.1955 - c.1959
      • Master Butchers Co-op
      • c.1975 - c.1979
      • Masterpet (co-tenants with Master Butchers)
      • unknown
      • The Bodyshop
  • close Architectural Information
    • Building Classification(s) close

      Not assessed

    • Architecture close

      The Levin & Co. warehouse has an entirely modern frontage to Kaiwharawhara Road of two bands of windows, vertical long-run cladding and a welter of advertisements. The back could be mistaken for a different building, since it is remains close to its original condition. The wall is brick masonry with concrete bands at first floor and roof levels. It is divided into 5 bays, clearly demarcated by the row of 5 gables that hide the south-east facing glazed facets of the saw-tooth roof. The central bay has a large modern roller door at ground level that is approached over a short but wide timber bridge that spans the Kaiwharawhara Stream. On the right, an original steel-framed window filling the whole bay remains (the one on the left has been covered), and smaller windows exist in the bays at either end, with a mixture of original timber and aluminium replacement windows. There is a narrow band of windows above, and a cornice with the name of the company in plaster relief. Internal steel bracing indicates that structural upgrading of some description has been carried out.

      The technical value of the building is high since the basic structure remains intact. Industrial building design and techniques of construction of the 1920s can be understood from this warehouse, it being a good representative example of its type. There is minor townscape value in the intact rear elevation, where the stream is a major element of its setting. The natural colour and texture of the 2 storey brick wall is a welcome relief from surrounding modern construction and advertising, especially on Kaiwharawhara Road.

    • Materials close

      Brick and concrete.

    • Setting close

      The Levin & Co. warehouse occupies the entire site between Kaiwharawhara Road at its front (north-east) elevation and the Kaiwharawhara Stream at its back (south-west) elevation. It is in the middle of a solid block of warehousing, which forms its immediate context.

      There are two distinct close settings – Kaiwaharawhara Road and School Road; the former is a low-rise commercial area largely populated with modern frontages on old buildings facing a busy road, the latter is separated from the warehouses physically by the Kaiwharawhara Stream and its low-lying vegetation and, with a large number of old buildings is much as it was in the 1930s, giving this area a high degree of authenticity. The Levin & Co. warehouse makes a strong positive contribution to this area. A high bluff, the end of a spur off the Ngaio Gorge, rises above School Road to the south, providing a green background to the area.

      Further afield is the railway station at the east, the “Kaiwarra” railway settlement around the hills to the north and an oil depot and the Ngaio Gorge rising up to the west.

  • close Cultural Value

    9-13 Kaiwharawhara Road is a good representative example of an early 20th century wool-warehouse built in a functional/industrial style. The building is notable for the south, School Road, facade that reveals a handsome and well-balance two-storey brick elevation

    This building is historically significant for its association with the Levin family, and in particular, William Hort Levi, a distinguished merchant and philanthropist. This building is the largest tangible example of the achievements of the family business, Levin & Co.

    • Aesthetic Value close

      • 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?

        9-13 Kaiwharawhara Road is a good representative example of an early 20th century wool-warehouse built in a functional/industrial style. The building is notable for the south, School Road, facade that reveals a handsome and well-balance two-storey brick elevation.

    • Historic Value close

      • Association

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

        Levin and Co. was a significant Wellington based company that made its fortune during the great ‘wool-boom’ of the late 19th and early 20th century. The wool-store at Kaiwharawhara is presumed to be the last surviving building associated with the company and it is historically significant for that reason. The building is also the largest tangible example of the achievements of the Levin family and, in particular, William Hort Levin, a distinguished merchant and philanthropist.

    • Scientific Value close

      • Archaeological

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

        Close proximity to Maori Site of Significance M 52 and Kaiwharawhara Stream

      • Educational

        Does the item have educational value for what it can demonstrate about aspects of the past?

        The building’s history speaks of the boom period for New Zealand’s wool exporters, and the importance of the trade to the country.

      • Technological

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

        The technical value of the building is high since the basic structure remains intact. Industrial building design and techniques of construction of the 1920s can be understood from this warehouse, it being a good representative example of its type.

    • Social Value close

      • 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 contributes to a sense of continuity on Kaiwharawhara Road. The building signals that the light industrial feel of the area today is a continuation from earlier times.

    • Level of Cultural Heritage Significance close

      • 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 is in surprisingly authentic condition, especially in its elevation to Kaiwharawhara Stream and School Road where a handsome and well-balanced two-storey brick elevation is largely intact, although the elevation to Kaiwaharawhara Road is modern.


        The immediate setting on School Road is much as it was in the 1930s and the Levin and Co. warehouse contributes to, and is enhanced by, the authenticity of this setting.

      • Representative

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

        The Levin and Co. warehouse is a good representative example of a building in the functional tradition, a 1920s industrial structure built for wool storage.

      • Importance

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

        The building is important at a local level.

    • Local / Regional / National / International Importance close

      Not assessed

  • close Site Detail

    • District Plan Number

      15/ 450

    • Legal Description

      Pt Sec 3 Harbour District

    • Heritage New Zealand Listed

      Not listed.

    • Archaeological Site

      Close proximity to Maori Site of Significance M 52 and Kaiwharawhara Stream

    • Current Uses

      unknown

    • Former Uses

      unknown

    • Has building been funded

      No

    • Funding Amount

      Not applicable

    • Earthquake Prone Status

      Not Earthquake Prone

  • close Additional Information

Last updated: 11/27/2016 8:59:22 PM