In the centre of New Plymouth, a heritage icon is reborn
It should have been obvious from its undulating exterior, but the opening of New Plymouth’s striking Len Lye Centre is having positive ripple effects in its neighbourhood. Just across the road, the White Hart hotel is humming with activity after a long redevelopment project based on a master plan led by Wellington-based architects William Giesen and Cecile Bonnifait of Bonnifait + Giesen.
The hotel’s white verandah overlooks the Govett Brewster Gallery (of which the Len Lye Centre forms a part) just as it always has, but inside there’s a sunny covered courtyard with a fireplace, the new eatery Public Catering Co, Snug Lounge for cocktails and Japanese food, a connection to the neighbouring King and Queen Hotel, as well as a boutique, offices and a café. The refurbishment just won an award from the New Zealand Institute of Architects, who call it “a delightful addition to New Plymouth’s cultural precinct”. We couldn’t agree more.
White Hart Hotel
Cnr Devon and Queen Streets, New Plymouth
Photography by: Russell Kleyn.
[related_articles post1=”3897″ post2=”52259″]
