Consultancy House
Encyclopedia
Consultancy House is a historic building in The Exchange, in downtown Dunedin
, New Zealand
. It has a New Zealand Historic Places Trust
grade I classification.
Originally known as The New Zealand Express Company Building and also previously known as The MFL Mutual Fund Building, the building is located in Bond Street, on reclaimed land close to the original city docks. It lies close to Queen's Gardens and to John Wickliffe Plaza, the former site of the Dunedin Exchange Building and now home to Dunedin's largest office block, John Wickliffe House.
The building was constructed in 1908–10 by American-influenced New Zealand architects Sidney and Alfred Luttrell
and is an amalgam of Chicago skyscraper
design and Edwardian architecture. The façade shows strong Romanesque
influence, with prominent columns topped with semicircular arches forming a major architectural feature. The original plans for the building were for five floors topped by a Mansard roof, but during construction a further two storeys were added to the plans.
It is a larger brother to the Luttrell's 1905 Manchester Courts
building in Christchurch, which was extensively damaged in the 2010 Canterbury Earthquake
. Confusingly, the Manchester Courts building is also often referred to as the New Zealand Express Company Building, as both buildings were constructed as regional headquarters for the same company.
Whereas the Christchurch building made use of a ferroconcrete base and steel-framed upper construction, Consultancy House used ferroconcrete throughout. It was the first building in New Zealand to make use of pre-cast concrete slabs constructed off-site. The ferroconcrete base was used to form a floating raft foundation on the reclaimed site. It appears to have been modelled at least in part on Louis Sullivan
's 1887 Chicago Auditorium Building, albeit with far more Victorian and Edwardian colonial architectural embellishments. These embellishments leave the building more in keeping with its neighbours.
The seven-storey building was at the time Dunedin's tallest, and is considered by many (Manchester Courts notwithstanding) to be the country's first true skyscraper
. In its time, it has housed numerous notable tenants, including the Dunedin branch of the New Zealand Stock Exchange and publisher and writer A.H. Reed
.
The interior of the building has been extensively remodelled since its construction and is largely lacking in architectural interest, the only notable remaining original feature being the central staircase. Current occupants of the building include a fitness centre on the ground floor and various professional service companies such as accountants on the upper floors.
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It has a New Zealand Historic Places Trust
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
grade I classification.
Originally known as The New Zealand Express Company Building and also previously known as The MFL Mutual Fund Building, the building is located in Bond Street, on reclaimed land close to the original city docks. It lies close to Queen's Gardens and to John Wickliffe Plaza, the former site of the Dunedin Exchange Building and now home to Dunedin's largest office block, John Wickliffe House.
The building was constructed in 1908–10 by American-influenced New Zealand architects Sidney and Alfred Luttrell
Sidney and Alfred Luttrell
Edward Sydney "Sidney" Luttrell and his brother Alfred Edward Luttrell were partners of S. & A. Luttrell, a firm of architects and building contractors noted for its contributions to New Zealand architecture, both in terms of style and technology...
and is an amalgam of Chicago skyscraper
Chicago school (architecture)
Chicago's architecture is famous throughout the world and one style is referred to as the Chicago School. The style is also known as Commercial style. In the history of architecture, the Chicago School was a school of architects active in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century...
design and Edwardian architecture. The façade shows strong Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
influence, with prominent columns topped with semicircular arches forming a major architectural feature. The original plans for the building were for five floors topped by a Mansard roof, but during construction a further two storeys were added to the plans.
It is a larger brother to the Luttrell's 1905 Manchester Courts
Manchester Courts
Manchester Courts, earlier known as the MLC Building, was a commercial high-rise building in the Christchurch Central City. Built in 1905–1906 for the New Zealand Express Company, it was at the time the tallest commercial building in Christchurch...
building in Christchurch, which was extensively damaged in the 2010 Canterbury Earthquake
2010 Canterbury earthquake
The 2010 Canterbury earthquake was a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, which struck the South Island of New Zealand at 4:35 am on local time ....
. Confusingly, the Manchester Courts building is also often referred to as the New Zealand Express Company Building, as both buildings were constructed as regional headquarters for the same company.
Whereas the Christchurch building made use of a ferroconcrete base and steel-framed upper construction, Consultancy House used ferroconcrete throughout. It was the first building in New Zealand to make use of pre-cast concrete slabs constructed off-site. The ferroconcrete base was used to form a floating raft foundation on the reclaimed site. It appears to have been modelled at least in part on Louis Sullivan
Louis Sullivan
Louis Henri Sullivan was an American architect, and has been called the "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism" He is considered by many as the creator of the modern skyscraper, was an influential architect and critic of the Chicago School, was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, and an...
's 1887 Chicago Auditorium Building, albeit with far more Victorian and Edwardian colonial architectural embellishments. These embellishments leave the building more in keeping with its neighbours.
The seven-storey building was at the time Dunedin's tallest, and is considered by many (Manchester Courts notwithstanding) to be the country's first true skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
. In its time, it has housed numerous notable tenants, including the Dunedin branch of the New Zealand Stock Exchange and publisher and writer A.H. Reed
Alfred Hamish Reed
Alfred Hamish Reed, MBE was a New Zealand publisher, author and entrepreneur. A. H. Reed was born at Hayes, Middlesex, England, on 30 December 1875, the son of James William Reed and Elizabeth Reed. He migrated to New Zealand with his parents in 1887...
.
The interior of the building has been extensively remodelled since its construction and is largely lacking in architectural interest, the only notable remaining original feature being the central staircase. Current occupants of the building include a fitness centre on the ground floor and various professional service companies such as accountants on the upper floors.