There were only a handful of buildings that survived the earthquake of 1931 here in Napier New Zealand. Napier sits almost directly over the fault line abutting the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates. Fortunately the "Public Trust Building" was one of the handful of buildings that remained standing !
The "Neo Classical Style "building was designed by architects "Hyland & Phillips" and built in 1921 by "Public Trust" the largest provider of wills /trust/financial services in New Zealand. The building with it's recessed entrance/detailed cornice & roll of Doric columns wanted to reflect the power and strength of the government. With that being said gave the citizens and businesses faith and confidence that their government will always be there for them, especially after the devastating earthquake of 1931.
The building was structurally strengthened after the 1931 earthquake and was awarded the Merit Award from the Art Deco Trust for preserving the interior in 1990.
" Public Trust " has been serving the people of New Zealand since 1873 and lives by It's Maori name ,"Te Tari Tiaki lwi " meaning " the organization that takes care of people "!
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