Art Deco Live-Work Opportunity in Rural NZ

An historic stylish art deco retail and workshop showroom premises – complete with a completely renovated modern metropolitan-styled apartment above – in the heart of a rural Waikato township has been placed on the market for sale.

The heritage-based designer two-storey J.A.Hepburn building on Whitaker Street in the central business district of the Waikato township of Te Aroha, was constructed in 1929 when it opened as Hepburn’s Bakery and Tearooms under the management of well-known businessmen and baker John Arthur Hepburn. The venue served sweet treats and hot brewed beverages well into the 1950s.

The near century old premises is regarded as one of the finest examples of art deco architecture in the Waikato region. Extensive strengthening work was undertaken at the property over recent years so that it now meets current building codes. Interestingly, the building has a discreetly enclosed internal elevator linking the ground floor retail space with the apartment above, while the upper level also accessible by an elegant period stairwell.

The French-originating art deco period which inspired the design of the J.A.Hepburn building spanned the years between 1910-1950 – peaking in the 1920s and ‘30s. Above the street level retail portion of the Whitaker Street premises is a fully renovated two bedroom/two-bathroom apartment which has been beautifully refurbished with highly spec’d replica skirting and framing throughout to keep the art deco theme to the fore. The spacious apartment – with a rear deck overlooking Te Aroha’s green farmland – has its own separate entrance from the street.

Across New Zealand, art deco construction was most prevalent in Napier following the devastating 1931 earthquake. However, as seen at the Whittaker Street premises in Te Aroha, the famed architectural design style was widely used in many other parts of the country, although not to the same concentrated scale as in Hawke’s Bay.

As reflected in the J.A.Hepburn building, art deco’s core architectural elements featured the use of structural steel, reinforced concrete, stainless glass and aluminium in a geometric format with long lines, and occasional influences from Egypt.

Whitaker Street is Te Aroha’s main retail ‘spine’ – sustaining a multitude of service entities ranging from food and beverage outlets or health and beauty premises, through to professional services practices and local supermarkets.

The 255 square-metres of freehold land and 310-square metre building at 207 Whitaker Street in Te Aroha are now being marketed for sale at auction on September 3 through Bayleys Ngatea. Salesperson Josh Smith said the property would primarily appeal to owner/occupiers seeking a hybrid work-from-home location in a quiet rural town within easy commuting distance of Hamilton. The whole property is being sold with a vacant tenancy – allowing any new owner to move in quickly.

“The 207 Whittaker Street premises delivers not only character commercial space in a true rural heartland town centre, but also consented living in a very stylish apartment within a quiet community-spirited main street location… with all amenities just a stroll away,” Smith said.

“The ‘vibe’ and physical lay-out emanating from within the quaint J.A.Hepburn building would suit a new owner/occupier with an artistic element to their professional activities – such as a painter, photographer, graphic designer, potter, or fabric/clothing maker looking for not only a space to create their wares, but also separate space to showcase what they have made.

“There would be very few mixed use commercial and residential premises within Te Aroha’s central business district which are configured to the same dynamic as the J.A.Hepburn building, as most commercial structures are single-storey properties. The building even has a secure roller-door garage accessible off Whitaker Street.

“The upstairs apartment has been exquisitely refurbished to an extremely high standard and is ready for a new occupant to move in without anything needing to be done to it except for hanging artworks on the wall and adding pot plants in the corner of the lounge,” Smith said.

“Certainly, very few buildings in Te Aroha have such heritage and historical links to the town as it was nearly 100-years ago. The most notable other such two-level building along Whittaker Street is the prominent Palace Hotel which also has an instantly recognisable air of art deco design style to its street frontage.”

Smith said the character structural features within the commercial portion of the building – including two bathrooms and an original red-brick walled workspace – could also amply sustain the likes of a boutique upmarket wine or whisky bar serving tapas style eats.

With a population of approximately 4,650 residents, Te Aroha is a rural services town renown for more than a century for is therapeutic natural waters – such as the cute Mokena Geyser which is the only soda water geyser in the world, as well as its silky mineral pools open to the public to bath in.