| 45 T T Virginia Wright Historic features replicated in refurbished hotel Napier’s Criterion Hotel incorporates elements of both Spanish Mission and Art Deco styles. ARCHITECTURE Atkinson Harwood Architecture: Criterion Hotel The most recent work on one of Napier’s architecturally significant buildings transformed it from the Criterion Backpackers into the luxury accommodation it is now, the Criterion Hotel. The first Criterion Hotel opened on the same site in March 1874, and was destroyed in Napier’s catastrophic earthquake in 1931 before being built again in an eclectic design by architect Ernest Arthur (E.A.) Williams. It incorporated elements of both Spanish Mission and Art Deco styles and it fell to Atkinson Harwood Architecture to refurbish it, while giving it the sort of amenities and finish that appeal to high-end travellers, without losing its important heritage features. Co-owned and run by partners Sol Atkinson and Samantha Harwood for the last 10 years, Atkinson Harwood Architecture does a wide range of residential and commercial projects and has a particular interest in sustainable residential. Having worked on other projects within the Criterion building, they had a good understanding of what they were taking on when they combined their skills and expertise to achieve this latest iteration of the first floor and its ground-floor entrance and hallway. “There’s a ground-floor entrance, which is part of the hotel’s tenancy, with a lift and stairwell up to the first floor. Originally back in 1932, the first floor was a boutique hotel, so as part of this project we went back through and did a massive heritage exercise with the support of the heritage architect Ann Galloway to assess the space we were working in for any heritage items we could use or enhance,” explains Sol. While the new entrance is only a portion of what the original entrance was, they used the old drawings to design the front doors and other elements of the arrival space to echo the original hotel’s intent, says Sol. “We replicated the original plaster detailing, original skirtings and cornicings, stripped back to the original patterned ceilings, and where we couldn’t replicate we found options that were sympathetic to the era. The only existing photo was a black and white one of the lounge space, so working in consultation with Ann we had to interpret the colours of the flooring, which we could see was highly patterned, while staying consistent with the original.” Napier is well known for its Art Deco, but the Criterion’s combination of Art Deco with Spanish Mission brought with it decorative column capitals (the column tops) to be replicated in the tall, open space of the reception lounge, with the fireplaces at each end housing new electric fires to meet today’s regulations while retaining their original decorative surrounds. Given its boutique hotel origins, Sol and Samantha’s primary goal was to return it to its former glory, complete with all the amenities of a contemporary luxury hotel. Rewired and re-plumbed, carefully designed and decorated to make the most of original plaster features and adapting others to bring them up to boutique hotel standard, each of the beautifully refurbished, high-stud rooms now has its own ensuite, an essential upgrade from the original shared toilets. Ph: 027 778 8060 | E: anthony@broadelectricalservices.co.nz | www.broadelectricalservices.co.nz PROUDLY POWERING HAWKE’S BAY Anthony and the team at Broad Electrical Services deliver professional electrical solutions for residential, commercial, industrial, and rural clients across the region. Our experienced electricians specialise in general electrical work, water infrastructure including pumping and irrigation systems, and switchboard design, manufacture, and upgrades. Hawke's Bay Electricians With full in-house capability, we manage projects from custom electrical drawings through to switchboard manufacturing and traffic management, delivering reliable solutions for projects of any size. • Tiling Service • Floor andWall Tiling • Waterproofing • Under Floor Heating • Residential & Commercial • Interior & Exterior Proudly supporting Atkinson Harwood Architecture 027 2362753 www.primetilingcontractors.co.nz contact@primetilingcontractors.com
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