NZ Visual Diary - entry 216
Vulcan Buildings - Queen Street facade
In a previous entry, I wrote about the Vulcan Buildings block, a glorious edifice that fronts both on Queen Street and Vulcan Lane. My earlier entry offered a detail of the Vulcan Lane facade because the leafy tree covering on Queen Street obscured a view of the building.
On a walk about Queen Street earlier this week, I noticed that the wintry nakedness of the ‘offending’ tree graciously permits a view of textured layering, the co-mingling of natural and built environments.
Fellow frequenters of Queen Street may be disappointed that I elected to produced a black and white rendering of the building. Its soft brown tones are lovely. I decided that a black and white image would better convey its dramatic beauty and architectural rigour.
As a final note, I particularly favour what Heritage New Zealand has stated about the Vulcan Buildings:
The Vulcan Buildings complex is significant as one of the most distinctive office blocks in Auckland, reflecting the economic wealth and artistic freedom of the 1920s. It is a reminder of the importance of small businesses to urban centres in the early twentieth century, and the scale of much development at that time. It provides a valuable contrast to the larger Chicago-style office blocks of the same period, such as the South British Insurance Company Building, that were built in adjacent streets. It forms an important group with these structures, demonstrating considerable variety in the appearance and use of office space in 1920s Auckland. The building is particularly important for its contribution to the local streetscape and character of the area, having high visibility and aesthetic qualities. It is a prominent landmark at the main entrance of Vulcan Lane, which is both one of the most intact early twentieth-century commercial thoroughfares in the historic centre of Auckland and a popular pedestrian precinct. 1
Heritage New Zealand - Vulcan Buildings
https://www.heritage.org.nz/list-details/668/Vulcan%20Buildings