A natural disaster resulted in Napier becoming one of the most authentic Art Deco cities in the world. On the morning of February 3, 1931, a powerful earthquake struck Hawke's Bay. A majority of the buildings in the city center were destroyed either by the earthquake itself or by the subsequent fires. Reconstruction in the original architectural style began immediately afterwards and took a good two years. Although some of the unique buildings were replaced by new buildings in the 1960s to 1980s, the majority of the city center, which has been listed since the 1990s, is almost completely preserved. Many Art Deco houses have been lovingly restored in recent years. Particularly worth seeing are the “Masonic Hotel”, the “Criterion Hotel”, the “Daily Telegraph Building”, the “Country
Wide Bank”, the “Theater” with its Egyptian-like columns and arches and the “A&B Building”, whose dome has become Napier’s landmark. Every February, Napier celebrates its history and architecture with the Art Deco Festival. This stylish event is all about vintage cars, fashion and 1930s music.