BNZ Tower
Encyclopedia
The State Insurance Building is a skyscraper at 1 Willis Street in Wellington
, New Zealand
, formerly named the BNZ Centre. At the time of its completion in 1984, it was the tallest building in New Zealand
, overtaking the 87m Quay Tower in Auckland. It is notable for its strong, square, black form, in late International Style
modernism, and for a trade dispute which delayed the construction by a decade. It remained the tallest building in New Zealand until 1986, and is currently the second tallest building in Wellington.
) began purchasing land for the building in 1969. Approval to build was granted by the Town Planning Committee on June 14, 1972, after the building codes were rewritten to allow the development "out of common interest." Construction began in 1973, however a labour demarcation dispute, involving the Boilermaker
s Trade Union
claiming the exclusive right of their members to weld the steel
, brought construction to a halt part way through construction. The dispute was characteristic of the time, disrupting construction for six years and stopping the large-scale use of structural steel in almost every major New Zealand building project that followed. Although other building projects were promptly redesigned to use reinforced concrete or stopped altogether, the skeleton of the half-constructed tower sat and rusted while much of the rest of downtown Wellington was rebuilt. In 1979, the original building contract was terminated and a new contract to finish the building was signed in 1981. The complex was completed and occupied in late 1984. After the BNZ moved its head office to Auckland
in 1998, State Insurance
purchased the naming rights to the building, renaming it the State Insurance Tower.
from which the tower rises, is set back from the street frontage and contains a number of shops including a Sony Style electronics store. There are three floors below ground that extend to the street boundaries, providing a large and airy below-ground courtyard, which extends under Willis Street to provide pedestrian access to the basements of the buildings across the road. These underground levels also contain a food court.
The building's stark, black form was critically received. At the time of construction, the BNZ Centre was twice as large as the surrounding buildings. The international modernist style was out of keeping with typical New Zealand architecture of the time, and behind world architecture, which was moving into a postmodern
period. This led John Huggins to describe it as a "reactionary Building", "a summary and clear conclusion of mainstream developments in World Architecture of the last fifty years." Other architects writing in the fifth issue of the 1986 Architecture New Zealand were not so kind, with Ian Athfield
describing it as "Darth Vader's pencil box," Sir Miles Warren
describing it as "the favourite whipping boy of the architectural anti-establishment," and Roger Walker
describing it as "an important opportunity lost."
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, formerly named the BNZ Centre. At the time of its completion in 1984, it was the tallest building in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, overtaking the 87m Quay Tower in Auckland. It is notable for its strong, square, black form, in late International Style
International style (architecture)
The International style is a major architectural style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, the formative decades of Modern architecture. The term originated from the name of a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style...
modernism, and for a trade dispute which delayed the construction by a decade. It remained the tallest building in New Zealand until 1986, and is currently the second tallest building in Wellington.
History
BNZ (Bank of New ZealandBank of New Zealand
Bank of New Zealand is one of New Zealand’s largest banks and has been operating continuously in the country since the first office was opened in Auckland in October 1861 followed shortly after by the first branch in Dunedin in December 1861...
) began purchasing land for the building in 1969. Approval to build was granted by the Town Planning Committee on June 14, 1972, after the building codes were rewritten to allow the development "out of common interest." Construction began in 1973, however a labour demarcation dispute, involving the Boilermaker
Boilermaker
A boilermaker is a trained craftsman who produces steel fabrications from plates and sections. The name originated from craftsmen who would fabricate boilers, but they may work on projects as diverse as bridges to blast furnaces to the construction of mining equipment.-Boilermaking:Many...
s Trade Union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
claiming the exclusive right of their members to weld the steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
, brought construction to a halt part way through construction. The dispute was characteristic of the time, disrupting construction for six years and stopping the large-scale use of structural steel in almost every major New Zealand building project that followed. Although other building projects were promptly redesigned to use reinforced concrete or stopped altogether, the skeleton of the half-constructed tower sat and rusted while much of the rest of downtown Wellington was rebuilt. In 1979, the original building contract was terminated and a new contract to finish the building was signed in 1981. The complex was completed and occupied in late 1984. After the BNZ moved its head office to Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
in 1998, State Insurance
State Insurance
State Insurance is an insurance company based in New Zealand. "State" serves as a brand of IAG New Zealand Limited, a subsidiary of Insurance Australia Group.-History:State Insurance was formerly known as the State Insurance Office...
purchased the naming rights to the building, renaming it the State Insurance Tower.
Design
The State Insurance Tower is a 26-storey tower with a square podium. It is supported by a steel frame, and clad by 3.6 m² prefabricated panels made of black granite with matching dark tinted glass. These panels are absent from two rows at the mid height of the building, to allow air into the Plant room. The floors above ground are used as offices and have prime harbour views. The ground floor, which forms a plinthPlinth
In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests...
from which the tower rises, is set back from the street frontage and contains a number of shops including a Sony Style electronics store. There are three floors below ground that extend to the street boundaries, providing a large and airy below-ground courtyard, which extends under Willis Street to provide pedestrian access to the basements of the buildings across the road. These underground levels also contain a food court.
The building's stark, black form was critically received. At the time of construction, the BNZ Centre was twice as large as the surrounding buildings. The international modernist style was out of keeping with typical New Zealand architecture of the time, and behind world architecture, which was moving into a postmodern
Postmodern architecture
Postmodern architecture began as an international style the first examples of which are generally cited as being from the 1950s, but did not become a movement until the late 1970s and continues to influence present-day architecture...
period. This led John Huggins to describe it as a "reactionary Building", "a summary and clear conclusion of mainstream developments in World Architecture of the last fifty years." Other architects writing in the fifth issue of the 1986 Architecture New Zealand were not so kind, with Ian Athfield
Ian Athfield
Ian Charles Athfield is a New Zealand architect. He was born in Christchurch and graduated from the University of Auckland in 1963 with a Diploma of Architecture. That same year he joined Structon Group Architects, and he became a partner in 1965...
describing it as "Darth Vader's pencil box," Sir Miles Warren
Miles Warren
Sir Miles Warren, ONZ, KBE, FNZIA is New Zealand's foremost modern architect. He apprenticed under Cecil Wood before studying architecture at the University of Auckland, eventually working at the London County Council where he was exposed to British New Brutalism...
describing it as "the favourite whipping boy of the architectural anti-establishment," and Roger Walker
Roger Walker (architect)
Roger Neville Walker is a New Zealand architect based in Wellington. After graduating in architecture from the University of Auckland in the 1960s, Walker worked for the architecture firm Calder Fowler & Styles, until he established his own practice in the early 1970s...
describing it as "an important opportunity lost."