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Description

William Coombs bought the site of this building in about 1881. Following his death in 1907, the land was transferred to his widow, Alice Coombs (1857-1940). C. Tilleard Natusch & Sons’ received the contract to design this building.

Wellington contractors, Messrs Irvine & Burr began erecting the concrete building in late 1925, at a cost £16,083. The first stage was the main building, the second was the electrical work and lift, and the third was the shop fronts, which were complete by June 1927. The building was named after the (then) neighbouring Commercial Hotel. The plans indicate that the new building was erected around pork butcher Bert Hansel’s small-goods shop.

The Commercial Building was designed in the Inter-War neo-Georgian style, the style’s features being described as symmetrical with modest detailing. As originally built, the three-storey building consisted of four street-level shops, with suites of offices on the upper two floors. Many different businesses have occupied it over the years.

Identification

Object type
Image
Relation
IMCA Digital Archive
Date
June 2020
Digitisation ID
2020BD_IMCA-DigitalMaster_031915
Format
Born Digital

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Taxonomy

Tags
architects,
architecture,
buildings,
the square,
Community Tags

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Related items

45-51 The Square – the Grand Building, former Grand Hotel
149-152 The Square – Westside Chambers, former ‘M.L.C. Building’
Palmerston North Civic Administration Building, The Square
85-88 the Square - Bryants Building
141 The Square – Imperial Chambers
161-163 The Square – Mowlem Buildings (a.k.a. ‘Bares Buildings’)
36 The Square – ‘Childs’ building’, now Lone Star Café & Bar
Ladies’ Rest Room, The Square
145-148 The Square, 5-21 Rangitikei Street, 288-302 Cuba Street - @ the hub
1-3 The Square – former Union Bank of Australia/ANZ Chambers
125-128 The Square - Waldegrave Building
153-154 The Square – United Friendly Societies’ Dispensary (UFSD) building