Art deco beauty Kerridge House to be auctioned

Kerridge House on the Esplanade was built in 1935 for cinema chain magnate Sir Robert Kerridge. Picture by Strike Photography

Regarded as one of New Zealand’s finest examples of art deco architecture, Kerridge House, 75 The Esplanade, is now on the market.

The Category 1 historic home was built for Sir Robert Kerridge in 1935 at a stage when he was rapidly expanding his chain of cinemas from its beginnings in Gisborne. The wide street frontage shows the art deco design elements to their fullest and commands river views from the lounge, the formal entry and two of the four bedrooms.

It was designed by Burr & Mirfield architects, who were also responsible for other outstanding designs in Gisborne that are on the Heritage NZ list.

Being registered as a Category 1 historic home ensures the stunning glasswork, metal window frames, lighting and other period features will live on as a snapshot of this notable art deco design.

Open plan living areas, 200m2 of floor area,  bathrooms and a double garage mean this home can easily cater for a family or a lover of this period.

A very similar house was built in Hastings a year after Kerridges’ home for Percy Atkins, a prominent jockey who rode for race horse owner Sir Robert Kerridge.

Mr Atkins had been most impressed with the Kerridge house and asked well-known Hastings architect Albert Garnell to design something similar.

The basis for the art deco style was the principle of being ‘true’ to the building — to reveal the building structure rather than disguise it.

The style became popular in Europe following the great ‘Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes’ held in Paris in 1925, from which ‘art deco’ takes its name.

The architects and designers of the time felt that building design should be functional and therefore it was characterised by smooth surfaces, large areas of glass, steel framing, chrome and cubic forms, with limited decoration.

Art deco houses first made their appearance in New Zealand towards the end of the depression in the early 1930s and lasted until after WW2.

The American film industry helped to popularise the art deco style which was embraced more fully in public and commercial buildings, but also influenced domestic architecture in the 1930s.

Some of the art deco features in the house pay homage to movie theatres of the time.

Kerridge bought his first cinema in Gisborne in 1924 at the age of 23.

With HB Williams, a wealthy local landowner as his partner, Kerridge established a profitable and expanding business.

Five years after starting his business the company owned 16 country cinemas in the east coast regions of the North Island.

After World War 2, Kerridge purchased the Fuller’s chain of cinemas and then JC Williamson’s New Zealand interests to control 66 percent of New Zealand’s movie houses.

In 1946 the Kerridge Odeon Corporation was founded. Kerridge was knighted for his services to the entertainment industry. He is survived by his son Robert (Bob) Kerridge, former director of the SPCA’s Auckland centre and was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2018 for his dedication towards animal welfare and creating a better life for New Zealand’s animals.