Far from the largest cities of Europe and America, where the Modern style was developed in the 20th century, is based Napier. That is a completely atypical small town in New Zealand. It is located in the heart of the Hawkes Bay wine region and famous for its unique architecture. At the end of the decade, Napier was considered as the city with the newest and stylistically unified city center in the world. 

Today Napier is considered as one of the largest "collections" of buildings made in art deco style outside of Miami. You will not see elsewhere such concentration of buildings reminding of the 1930s.

A modern architectural treasure is made from the ash of tragedy. On February 3, 1931, Napier and its surroundings were damaged with an earthquake of 7.8 magnitudes. It took 261 lives and deprived thousands of the locals of their houses. Fires were all over the city. Fearing to enter houses, the survivors made camps in gardens, on road sides, in Nelson Park, and the Marine Parade beach.

The architectural style of art deco became popular in the 1920s. These are famous American skyscrapers with pointed spires, mirror surfaces creating solar flashes, fountains and simple geometric figures in the design of the construction. Colored houses, pharmacies, hairdressing salons, banks, shops, and state organizations turned to a unique world-famous architectural “nature reserve”. 

For Napier, the art deco was a safe and economical style. New concrete buildings were more resistant to earthquakes and fires, materials were cheaper, and stucco relief decorations typical for the style had more benefits than other patterns. 

Four architectural firms in the city began to work together. Each of them chose one object of the capital and began its restoration. The work was completing day and night, and as a result of mutual efforts, Napier was restored in two years.