Art Deco Napier – An Assessment of Outstanding Universal Value For the New Zealand World Heritage Tentative List

Description

From the introduction –

This report begins by examining what is meant by the term Art Deco and assessing the status of Art Deco as an architectural movement within the wider context of 20th-century architectural Modernism. It then describes the Art Deco precinct of Napier and examines evolving perceptions of this architecture from both national and international perspectives. The authenticity and integrity of the site are then examined to evaluate whether it meets these standards, both of which are essential for World Heritage listing. Because World Heritage listing requires that the value of sites must transcend those placed upon them by individual nations, a comparative analysis of Art Deco Napier has been made to assess its qualities alongside those of cities possessing similar or related characteristics. Finally, Napier is  assessed against the six criteria set out in the World Heritage Convention to establish whether it meets the criterion of Outstanding Universal Value necessary for inscription on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.