How a devastating quake gave way to this modern-day Art Deco wonderland

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Destroyed by an earthquake in the 1930’s, much of Napier, New Zealand was rebuilt in Art Deco style

Once promoted as the Nice of the Pacific because of its Mediterranean climate and tree-lined promenade, the seaside town of Napier in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand was transformed in February 1931.

Hit by an unprecedented magnitude 7.8 earthquake, buildings and roads were destroyed, fires roared, and 161 people were killed. The town faced near total destruction.

As the veils of choking dust settled, survivors were met with complete devastation, but the city stood strong in the face of one of New Zealand’s worst natural disasters, and Napier is now home to one of the largest — and most beautiful — collections of Art Deco buildings in the world.

“What is unique about Napier is a uniform collection of styles of buildings completed within a short time frame,” local historian Michael Fowler says. […]