Buildings, Sites and Neighbourhoods

In 1999, DOCOMOMO New Zealand compiled a ’top 20′ list of buildings, sites and neighbourhoods for publication in Dennis Sharp and Catherine Cooke (eds), The Modern Movement in Architecture: Selections from the DOCOMOMO Registers (010 Publishers, Rotterdam, 2000).  They were:

  1. Gordon Wilson/DHC, Savage Crescent State Housing Scheme, Palmerston North (1937-45)
  2. Gummer & Ford, State Fire Insurance Building, Wellington (1940-41)
  3. Ernst Plischke, Kahn House, Ngaio, Wellington (1941-42)
  4. Vernon Brown, Haigh House, Auckland (now relocated to Pahi, Kaipara Harbour) (1941-42)
  5. Gordon Wilson/DHC, Dixon Street Flats, Wellington (1940-44)
  6. Group Construction Co., First House, Takapuna, Auckland (1949-50)
  7. Fred Newman/MoW, Roxburgh Hydro-Electric Power Station, Clutha River (1949-56)
  8. Plishke & Firth, Massey House, Wellington (1951-57)
  9. Miles Warren, Dorset Street Flats, Christchurch (1956-57)
  10. Newman, Smith & Greenhough, War Memorial Hall, Wanganui (1956-60)
  11. Ian Reynolds/MoW, University of Otago Dental School Building, Dunedin (1954-61)
  12. John Scott, Futuna Chapel, Wellington (1958-61)
  13. Bill Alington, Alington House, Wellington (1961-62)
  14. Warren & Mahoney, Harewood Memorial Garden & Crem. Chapel, Christchurch (1962-63)
  15. Peter Beaven, Lyttelton Tunnel Authority Administration Building, Christchurch (1962-64)
  16. Tibor Donner, Auckland City Administration Building, Auckland (1954-66)
  17. John Goldwater, Synagogue and Community Centre, Auckland (1964-69)
  18. Ron Sang, Brake House, Titirangi, Auckland (1976-77)
  19. McCoy & Wixon, Hocken (now Richardson) Building, Univ. of Otago, Dunedin (1975-79)
  20. Ian Athfield, Buck House, Hawke’s Bay (1980)

The New Zealand Historic Places Trust has been working to register these buildings.  To date, the following have been registered Category I:

  1. Gummer & Ford, State Fire Insurance Building, Wellington (1940-41)
  2. Ernst Plischke, Kahn House, Ngaio, Wellington (1941-42)
  3. Gordon Wilson/DHC, Dixon Street Flats, Wellington (1940-44) 
  4. Plishke & Firth, Massey House, Wellington (1951-57)
  5. Miles Warren, Dorset Street Flats, Christchurch (1956-57)
  6. Newman, Smith & Greenhough, War Memorial Hall, Wanganui (1956-60)
  7. Ian Reynolds/MoW, University of Otago Dental School Building, Dunedin (1954-61)
  8. John Scott, Futuna Chapel, Wellington (1958-61)
  9. Bill Alington, Alington House, Wellington (1961-62)
  10. Peter Beaven, Lyttelton Tunnel Authority Administration Building, Christchurch (1962-64) Demolished 2013
  11. Ron Sang, Brake House, Titirangi, Auckland (1976-77)
  12. McCoy & Wixon, Hocken (now Richardson) Building, Univ. of Otago, Dunedin (1975-79)
  13. Ian Athfield, Buck House, Hawke’s Bay (1980)

The following has been registered Category II:

  1. Vernon Brown, Haigh House, Pahi, Kaipara Harbour (1941-42)