Te Whare Whakarauika | Wellington Town Hall architectural history

Although the building has been through a number of changes in the past century, it has kept its architectural significance in its style and form.

Street scene showing the rotunda opposite Wellington Town Hall. — Wellington Town Hall showing the old clock tower and grand entrance

Opened in 1904, Wellington Town Hall was designed by Joshua Charlesworth in the Classical architecture style.

The building's unique interior spaces include the main auditorium, entranceway and staircase. Original features restored in the '90s include the:

cast-iron columns and balustrade
dadoes
Wunderlich pressed in ceiling.

Original materials of particular note are the:

encaustic geometric floor tiles
expertly-carved timber posts to the stairs
Malmsbury bluestone on the exterior.

The main alterations were mostly in response to earthquake risks:

Mid-1930s: Clock tower removed and relocated to the Central Fire Station opposite the Town Hall.
Mid-1940s: Buttress walls and parapet ties strengthened following damage in the 1942 earthquakes.
Early 1990s: Town Hall refurbished, with major alterations and seismic securing, as part of the larger Civic Square redevelopment.

Architectural timeline

When	What happened
1886 - 1890	Land set aside for the town hall on reclaimed land near Jervois Quay, which was created using fill from the cliff-face on Lambton Quay and hauled to the site by horse and cart.
1900	Wellington architect Joshua Charlesworth designs Town Hall in the classical renaissance style.
18 June 1901	Duke of Cornwall and York lays three-ton granite foundation stone with time capsule inside.
1902	Paterson, Martin, and Hunter start building the Town Hall. Cost 68,000 pounds.
7 December 1904	Wellington Town Hall officially opened by Mayor Aitken in front of 3,000-strong crowd. Auditorium acoustics acknowledged as excellent.
1906	Norman & Beard grand organ installed by organ builder J Tustin. Made in London, cost 7,000 pounds and shipped to New Zealand in 51 cases.
1923	Clock donated by John Blundell and installed in 150-foot tower.
1934	Roman-styled main portico, clock tower and other external features removed as a precaution against earthquakes.
1942	Wairarapa earthquakes cause moderate damage to the Town Hall.
1943 - 1944	More external features removed and major strengthening done in auditorium and concert chamber.
1970	Interior painted using Grant Tilly-designed colour scheme, based on dominant colours in foyer’s original tiled floors.
1971	Town Hall’s future in jeopardy for not meeting the seismic codes. Public outcry. Council decides to strengthen.
1975	Exterior repainted in two colours, designed by Mayor Michael Fowler.
1977	Public debate about partial demolition to preserve the main auditorium.
1978	'Save the Town Hall' committee formed by a group of music enthusiasts.
September 1983	Michael Fowler Centre built next to the Town Hall.
April 1984	The Council decides to strengthen the Town Hall.
1989	Council votes for integrated Civic Centre scheme, creating a new Civic Square between the Town Hall and old city library (now City Gallery), a new Central Library and new curved Council office building.
1991 - 1992	Concert chamber replaced by conference / reception. Ilott theatre built, designed in a traditional chamber music room style. Main auditorium fully renovated and restored to improve function and civic events' space. Stage modernised. Original features restored, including wrought-iron balustrades, cast-iron columns and balustrades, dadoes and pressed zinc ceiling.
1992	Town Hall complex reopened.
2007	Town Hall assessed as earthquake-prone, meeting only 20 - 25% of new building standard.
November 2013	Town Hall closes to start earthquake strengthening.