Te Ngākau Civic Precinct is home to many of Wellington’s key civic and cultural venues and connects the city to the waterfront.
The precinct is made up of:
- Te Matapihi | Central Library
- Wellington Town Hall
- City Gallery Wellington | Te Whare Toi
- Municipal Office Building (MOB)
- Civic Administration Building (CAB)
- former Capital E building
- City to Sea Bridge
- Civic Square
- Jack Ilott Green
- Michael Fowler Centre.
Many buildings in the precinct were damaged during the 2013 and 2016 earthquakes, which means strengthening or redevelopment work is necessary.
Although the resilience issues in this area are challenging, they also offer an opportunity to rebuild Te Ngākau to ensure it is safe, well-designed, vibrant and fulfils its potential as the heart of our growing city.
What we’re doing
Some key buildings in the precinct are being redeveloped and strengthened, while others are being removed to make way for future development. Here’s what’s currently underway.
Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui | Central Library project
We’re strengthening and modernising Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui | Central Library.
Wellington Town Hall project
We're strengthening and upgrading the Wellington Town Hall. The Town Hall will support a new national music centre, which is a collaboration between Te Herenga Waka–Victoria University of Wellington, Te Tira Pūoro o Aotearoa–New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) and the Wellington City Council.
Te Ngākau Precinct Development Plan
We're preparing a development plan for the entire precinct to guide all future design and development decisions. This will include mana whenua aspirations, landscaping, building interfaces, connectivity to the sea and city, and circulation within the precinct. Once the draft is completed in June, there will be public consultation on the plan.
Civic Administration Building (CAB) demolition
The soft strip out of CAB will begin on 1 April, and the main demolition work will happen from June to December. The demolition will be complete by February 2025.
Municipal Office Building (MOB)
Municipal Office Building (MOB) will be either redeveloped or demolished, depending on the final CAB and MOB redevelopment proposal. The details of this redevelopment will be finalised towards the end of 2024.
CAB and MOB site redevelopment
We're planning to redevelop the CAB and MOB sites in partnership with a private developer through a request for proposal (RFP) process. We will conclude the RFP process by end of March and present the results to the Council.
Former Capital E building, City to Sea Bridge and Civic basement
We're currently assessing the strengthening/demolition options for the future of these structures. The final decisions will be informed by detailed analysis of the options and the Precinct Development Plan.