Napier was rebuilt in Art Deco style after the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake.
The magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck on 3 February 1931, devastating Napier and nearby Hastings. Fires and structural collapses destroyed much of central Napier, while the land itself was lifted dramatically. The rebuilding process began during the 1930s, when Art Deco was fashionable and its geometric forms suited modern construction and new earthquake-conscious building practices.
Napier’s reconstruction was unusually coordinated. Much of the central city was rebuilt at the same time, creating a concentrated architectural character rather than a scattered collection of isolated landmarks. Spanish Mission and stripped classical influences also appear, but Art Deco became the city’s defining visual identity.
The earthquake is often called the Napier earthquake, although it affected the wider Hawke’s Bay region and caused severe destruction in Hastings as well. That is why Hastings can sometimes appear in discussions of the disaster, but Napier is the canonical answer to this city-specific Art Deco question.
Today, Napier is internationally known for its preserved 1930s streetscape and annual Art Deco celebrations.