Locovisual

Hunter Building

The building that I have decided upon is the Hunter Building, named after Sir Thomas Hunter in 1959, that is situated in Kelburn Campus at Victoria University of Wellington. I chose this magnificence structure due to its distinctive Gothic Revival Characteristics that adds both a history and aesthetics to the University.

There is a lot of history within this structures’ configuration that shows just what an important landmark it become to be. Beginning with the foundation being laid for this building in 1904 and subsequently the finished building was opened in 1906. Through the years that had come and gone many extensions, re-strengthening and refurbishments were made/added to the structure to what we see today. However the true essence of this building is still alive today.

This landmark’s distinctive characteristics consists that of decorative windows creating important focal points for the building which are surrounded by ornamental features which is referenced back to the point of “the merging of the decorative with the functional” (Megan Aldrich (1994)) that was widely popular with Gothic Revivalists in the nineteenth century.

Inspired from the Gothic Revival era the Hunter Building displays contrasting signs of an “organic nature of the style with the formal symmetry of classically inspired architecture”. (Megan Aldrich (1994)) This includes the emphasis on the rectilinear forms of the building of both the ascending columns on the corners and the edging at the top story and the nature induced limestone framing of around most the windows.

 

Bibliography

Webpage:

Absolutely Positively Wellington. (unknown). Heritage. Retrieved from http://www.wellington.govt.nz/services/heritage/details.php?id=94&m=building&p=4

Book:

Aldrich, M. (1994). Gothic Revival. London: Phaidon Press Limited