1970’s Building Wins Enduring Award

A Wellington building designed by S&T in the early 1970s has earned an Enduring Architecture Award in the New Zealand Institute of Architects’ 2009 Wellington Local Architecture Awards.

Located in the heart of the city on Lambton Quay, the 18-storey tower was the new head office for the Bank of New South Wales (now Westpac). Rising tall from the pavement, its façade was made of pre-cast concrete panels faced with white-chip aggregate, which were sculpted to create a series of closely positioned, slender columns that echoed the ‘verticality’ of the World Trade Center in New York.

The building also features inset off-street walls designed to allow maximum natural light to reach this busy portion of Lambton Quay. Its interior is equally simple, with a column-free floor plate that enables maximum planning flexibility.

Today, Westpac remains the building’s major occupant, which is testament to its essential usability as a business and financial hub. As the NZIA jury put it, its “elegantly restrained facade and interior has stood the test of time, transcending styles and fashions” – ensuring it remains a true landmark in this ever-changing city.

“Elegantly restrained facade and interior has stood the test of time, transcending styles and fashions”  - NZIA jury

- Posted Dec. 1, 2009