Showing 1-5 of 5 results
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Beehive
Office workers swarm around the distinctive and well-known modernist Beehive, which is exactly what it looks like, and forms part of NZ's parliamentary complex. It was designed by British architect Sir Basil Spence and built between 1969 and 1980. Controversy surrounded its construction and, love it or loathe it, it's the architectural symbol of the country.
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Government Buildings
Opposite the Beehive building, at the northern end of Lambton Quay, stand the 1876 Government Buildings, among the world's largest all-wooden buildings. With their block corners and slab wooden planking, you have to look twice to realise that these aren't made of stone. The buildings have been restored and house various offices, including the Deprtment of Conservation visitors' centre.
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Katherine Mansfield's Birthplace
One of NZ's most distinguished authors, Katherine Mansfield is known throughout the world for her short stories and often compared to Chekhov and Maupassant. Katherine Mansfield's birthplace is a lovingly restored and maintained house with a restful heritage garden. The excellent video A Portrait of Katherine Mansfield screens here and the 'Sense of Living' exhibition displays photographs of the period alongside excerpts from her writing.
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Old St Paul's
Completed in 1866, Old St Paul's looks quaint from the outside, while the striking interior is a good example of early English Gothic timber design. It features magnificent stained-glass windows and houses displays of Wellington's early history.
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Parliament House
Three buildings on Bowen St form NZ's parliamentary complex. Office workers swarm around the distinctive and well-known modernist Beehive, which is exactly what it looks like. Next door to the Beehive is Parliament House, completed in 1922, and beside this is the 1899 neogothic Parliamentary Library building. Free, one-hour tours of Parliament House depart from the visitors' centre in the ground floor foyer.
Showing 1-5 of 5 results
