Former Hannah Footwear Factory (East Building) 1940

• 1940 - 1940
• 5 Eva Street, factory (00056:246:B20474)
• 1943 - 1943
• 5 Eva Street, raid shelter (00056:283:B22737)
• 1951 - 1951
• 5 Eva Street, office alterations (00056:405:B31181)
• 1952 - 1952
• 5 Eva Street, ground floor alterations (00056:423:B32386)
• 1969 - 1969
• 5 Eva Street, office alterations (00058:620:C28971)
• 1985 - 1985
• 1 Eva Street [5 Eva Street], office Building, stage 1 (00059:0:D2038)
• 1985 - 1985
• 1 Eva Street [5 Eva Street], demolition (00059:0:D21410)
• 1986 - 1986
• 1 Eva Street [5 Eva Street], refurbish office building, stage 1 (00059:5:D2650)
• 1986 - 1986
• 1 Eva Street [5 Eva Street], refurbish office building, stage 2 (00059:34:D4296)
• 1987 - 1987
• 5 Eva Street [97 Cuba Street], commercial offices redevelopment (00059:74:D5658)
• 1998 - 1998
• 5 Eva Street, apartment, level 4 (00078:322:40660)
• 1998 - 1998
• 97 Cuba Street [5 Eva Street], conversion to ten apartments (00078:164:35346)
• 1999 - 1999
• 97 Cuba Street [5 Eva Street], twelve apartments, levels 2 and 3 (00078:328:54937)
• 1999 - 1999
• 5 Eva Street, apartments, level 5 and 6 (00078:329:56813)
• 1999 - 1999
• 97 Cuba Street [5 Eva Street], twelve apartments, levels 2 and 3, amendment (00078:461:55988)
• 1999 - 1999
• 97 Cuba Street [5 Eva Street], twelve apartments, levels 2 and 3, amendment (00078:461:55988)
• 1999 - 1999
• 97 Cuba Street [5 Eva Street], twelve apartments, levels 2 and 3, amendment (00078:461:59650)
• 1999 - 1999
• 5 Eva Street, level 6, unit 40/41 fit-out (00078:514:49035)
• 2009 - 2009
• 5 Eva Street, Robert Hannah Building, new structural post to ground and first floor and foundation below (00078:3387:200988)
• 2009 - 2009
• 5 Eva Street, removal of staircase (078:3798:200853)

Not assessed

Not assessed

The building was designed by Francis Swan of Swan, Lawrence, and Swan and has much in common with American daylight factories of the 1900s and 1910s.

The exterior of this steel and reinforced concrete building is a good representative example of a commercial warehouse from the period. It is five storeys high with an additional floor, partially covering the original roof top, erected in 1986/7. It is five bays of equal width in length, running east-west, and four bays, the end bays half the width of the middle ones, running north-south. Within most of the bays a very large factory window rests upon an exposed brick panel. The basic frame of the building is covered in cement render.

The north facing elevation was originally without windows but the 1987 development introduced some fenestration at the fourth floor. The third floor windows and cut away balcony on this elevation most likely date from the 1999 apartment conversion.

On the south wall is an open steel fire escape, and a glazed gabled canopy over the original loading platform. The north and east elevations abut the adjacent buildings, while the west is partially obscured by the glazed over bridge. The south elevation is the most visible. The buildings gabled rood with the ridge running east-west originally had blank gable ends but the west end was glazed in 1987 to light the penthouse level addition.

The rooftop addition attempts to harmonise with the symmetry of the principle elevations. However, its pedimental, cross gabled form is quite at odds with the predominantly rectilinear nature of the original composition, as are the round headed windows within it.

The interior of the building originally had four floors of factory space over a ground floor store. Each floor was open plan, with a men’s lunchroom and toilets on the second floor, and the same for women on the third floor. Egress was provided by stairs in the northwest and northeast corners of the building and an elevator set in the middle of the north wall. The 1987 alterations included the removal of both staircases and repositioning of the west entrance to the second bay along from the north west corner. This entry is repeated at the first through fourth floors by an over bridge. A new roof structure was required at this time to cover the additional fifth floor. Offices and staff facilities were installed on the ground, fourth, and fifth floors, but the other levels appear to have remained open.

Reinforced concrete

Steel

The former Hannah’s Footwear Factory is located on the east side of Eva Street, which links Dixon Street with Vivian Street via Leeds Street. It is linked via a four storey glazed over bridge to a 1987 head office extension designed by one of New Zealand’s leading contemporary architectural practices, Athfield Architects. The Hannah precinct of offices and industrial buildings is surrounded on all sides by medium rise commercial buildings in a long established part of the central business district.

It is a part of a complex of buildings that were built for the Hannah’s Footwear Company, of which the larger 1922-23 factory is also a heritage listed building (16, 109). This larger building faces onto Leeds Street and onto the adjoining car park/courtyard of the 1940s building (WCC ref 16/ 410).

• Architectural

  Does the item have architectural or artistic value for characteristics that may include its design, style, era, form, scale, materials, colour, texture, patina of age, quality of space, craftsmanship, smells, and sounds?

  5 Eva Street is a good representative example of a 1940s inner-city warehouse/factory that has been converted for residential use. The building is notable for its functionalist design style and gains much of its aesthetic value from the regular modular grid-pattern of its beams, columns and window fenestration. It has a 1987 NZIA award winning rooftop addition.

• Group

  Is the item part of a group of buildings, structures, or sites that taken together have coherence because of their age, history, style, scale, materials, or use?

  This building has group value for its relationship to a precinct of buildings erected by Robert Hannah and Company. The buildings have been grouped together to form a distinct pattern of lanes and courtyards.

• Townscape

  Does the item have townscape value for the part it plays in defining a space or street; providing visual interest; its role as a landmark; or the contribution it makes to the character and sense of place of Wellington?

  This building has townscape value for the contribution it makes to the precinct of narrow lanes and light industrial buildings around Leeds and Eva streets. This are has been developed into a semi-private pedestrian enclave.

• Association

  Is the item associated with an important person, group, or organisation?

  This building is historically significant for its role as part of the Hannah complex of shops, factories, and offices that once dominated the centre of Te Aro. R. Hannah and Co. was one of the country’s most successful footwear manufacturers and retailers, and dominated the footwear market for over 100 years.

• Archaeological

  Does the item have archaeological value for its ability to provide scientific information about past human activity?

  This building is sited in the NZAA Central City archaeological area R27/270 and is associated with a number of sites known to be of significance to Maori.

• Identity - Sense Of Place - Continuity

  Is the item a focus of community, regional, or national identity? Does the item contribute to sense of place or continuity?

  This building is part of a group of historic commercial buildings which contribute to the sense of place and continuity of the Eva and Leeds Street warehouse precinct.

• Public Esteem

  Is the item held in high public esteem?

  This building is well known as a part of the Hannah Factory residential complex, and is on a well-used pedestrian route through the city.

• Authentic

  Does the item have authenticity or integrity because it retains significant fabric from the time of its construction or from later periods when important additions or modifications were carried out?

  The exterior of this building retains much of its original built fabric, and has had few intrusive modern alterations or additions. The interior has been significantly altered and has less integrity.

• Representative

  Is the item a good example of the class it represents?

  This building is a good representative of mid-twentieth century functionalist industrial design. It was constructed in materials and using techniques that were common to the period.

• Importance

  Is the item important for any of the above characteristics at a local, regional, national, or international level?

  This building is locally significant due to its associations with the Hannah’s Footwear Company; the role that it plays in the townscape; its group value; and as a representative example of mid-twentieth century functionalist industrial factory that was designed by a prominent Wellington architectural practice.

Not assessed

• Kelly, Michael, and Ann McEwan. ‘Former Hannah’s Footwear Factory – 5 Eva Street.’ Wellington City Council: Unpublished report, prepared for Plan Change 58. 2007.
• Wellington City Council. Wellington Heritage Building Inventory 2001: Non-Residential Buildings. Wellington City Council, 2001.
• Wellington City Archive: 00056:246:B20474; 00056:283:B22737; 00056:405:B31181; 00056:423:B32386; 00058:620:C28971; 00059:0:D2038; 00059:0:D21410; 00059:5:D2650; 00059:34:D4296; 00059:74:D5658; 00078:322:40660; 00078:164:35346; 00078:328:54937; 00078:329:56813; 00078:461:55988; 00078:461:59650; 00078:514:49035; 00078:3387:200988; 078:3798:200853

• Inventory Record

Not available