Vanishing Villas – Houses Removed or Demolished in Remuera

Many streets in Remuera are over 100 years old.

They are home to many villas and bungalows which survive and remain in excellent condition.  While they may have been modified over the years to accommodate modern family life, many have been thoughtfully modernised with amenities which add to the enjoyment of these older houses, e.g. new kitchen, bathrooms, decking, entrances, swimming pools, garages while still retaining the original character and heritage. 

The modern villa/bungalow can accommodate every modern amenity without having to destroy the qualities for which they are celebrated – use of fine materials, style, craftsmanship and sense of place. Their special character includes houses which are well set back with established gardens, large trees, well maintained landscaping and with considerable street appeal with walls, fences, hedges, including berms with trees. These weren’t the grand houses but the homes of ordinary middle and working class families over many generations.

Often houses are bought and then left empty for long periods of time so that the condition of the house deteriorates and the gardens become overgrown and unkempt. The houses are then removed or demolished and all vegetation removed from the landscape. The land is flattened, retaining walls built and one or more boxes with little street appeal or landscaping are constructed. The destruction of these beautiful villas and bungalows destroys the identity and heritage of our community forever.

Below are examples of such houses  in Remuera which have been demolished or removed.

Currently (June 2016) Clonbern Road is facing several demolitions – numbers 33, 39, 47 and 49 are slated to be demolished or removed. No. 114 has recently been demolished, following the demolition of numbers 46, 54 and 72 over the past few years.  Number 66 appears to be empty.