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The Borough Council bought this site in 1889. The present building was designed by James Walker and Lloyd C. Love, built by L. McMillan & Co. Ltd. at a cost of £300,000, and was opened on 4 November 1965.

The building’s exterior was designed to be as maintenance-free as possible. Eighteen unique stainless steel solar screens covered the Main Street frontage until 2011. Designed to admit maximum light, they also blocked the sun’s glare and heat. Adjustable aluminium louvers shielded the Square frontage. The terrazzo panelling on the building’s exterior consisted of polished marble aggregate, with golden brown aggregate on the ground floor exterior walls being Italian rumble marble. The main double staircase and the water feature beneath it also incorporated these materials.

Significant refurbishment in 2011 included removing the exterior screens, and the installation of tinted, double-glazed windows on the upper floors. Later additional windows were installed in the wall overlooking the Square.

Identification

Object type
Image
Relation
IMCA Digital Archive
Date
June 2020
Digitisation ID
2020BD_IMCA-DigitalMaster_031925
Format
Born Digital
Held In
IMCA Digital Archive

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Creation

Created By
Place
476-482 Main Street, Palmerston North

Object rights

Taxonomy

Tags
2020s,
architects,
architecture,
buildings,
the square,
Community Tags

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Related items

45-51 The Square – the Grand Building, former Grand Hotel
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
4-11 The Square – CM Ross Co. Building, now the Palmerston North City Library
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
10-15 The Square - Commercial Building