Worth banking on

The original bank, believed to have been designed by Edward Mahoney or his son Thomas who designed many of the BNZ branches at the time, was once the centre of town until the commercial district shifted north in later years. Completed in 1878 the building cost 3900 pounds to build, reportedly nearly 50% more than the builder had estimated. Following its initial construction, the Hood Street façade was stretched 30 feet in 1908 to provide a more spacious banking chamber and a bank accountant's office and was later followed in 1931 by a 20 foot extension of the Victoria Street façade. The branch continued trading as a bank until 1986, clocking up 108 years in banking service.

Plans to turn the building into an art and culture centre revealed that significant structural work would be required to meet modern building codes. And in 1987 a protection notice was issued to preserve the building. The building languished until its current owners created the Bar and Brasserie.

The new exterior colour palette of Environmental Choice approved Resene Hi-Glo waterborne gloss tinted to Resene Zeus (strong charcoal), Resene Chicago (masculine grey), Resene Stack (serious grey) and Resene Black White (grey white) is in keeping with the original palette of the 1800s. The expansive exterior soaked up over 1000 litres of paint. Inside, old becomes new with recycled Kauri from the building being used to create the bar, the 1908 stationery room becoming the kitchen and a courtyard planted with established trees from its previous life.

A local landmark, The Bank is now filling up client stomachs rather than their bank accounts.

www.thebank.co.nz
Building Contractor: Joe Wright, Wright Construction
Painting Contractor: Cantec
Resene: Pam Elliott, Hamilton ColorShop
From the Resene News – issue 4/2009

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