List of tallest buildings in Wellington facts for kids
Welcome to Wellington, New Zealand's capital city! This page tells you about its tallest buildings. We'll explore the amazing skyscrapers and high-rises that reach for the sky.
A skyscraper is a very tall building. A high-rise is also tall, but usually not as high as a skyscraper. The way we measure height for these buildings includes any spires on top. We don't count antennas.
The Majestic Centre is currently the tallest building in Wellington. It stands at 116 meters (381 feet) tall. That's like stacking about 29 school buses on top of each other!
Contents
Wellington's Tallest Buildings
Here's a list of some of the tallest buildings in Wellington. These buildings are at least 50 meters (164 feet) high. The very tallest ones are called skyscrapers.
| Name | Height | Floors | Built | Purpose | Cool Facts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Majestic Centre | 116 m (381 ft) | 29 | 1991 | Office | The tallest building in Wellington. |
| 2 | Aon Centre (Wellington) | 103 m (338 ft) | 27 | 1984 | Office | First opened as the BNZ Centre. |
| 3 | HSBC Tower | 101 m (331 ft) | 25 | 2003 | Office | Its spire makes it taller than its roof. |
| 4 | NTT Tower | 93 m (305 ft) | 25 | 1998 | Office | It has had many names over the years. |
| 5 | Bowen House | 90 m (295 ft) | 22 | 1991 | Office | |
| 6 | James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor | 88 m (289 ft) | 26 | 1972/1998 | Hotel | |
| 7 | Plimmer Towers | 84 m (276 ft) | 25 | 1975 | Hotel | First known as the Williams Centre. |
| 8 | 125 The Terrace | 77 m (253 ft) | 21 | 1986 | Office | |
| 9 | Morrison Kent House | 76 m (249 ft) | 21 | 1969 | Office | |
| 10 | The Beehive | 72 m (236 ft) | 10 | 1981 | Office | This is where New Zealand's Parliament meets! |
| 11 | 113 The Terrace | 72 m (236 ft) | 19 | 1988 | Office | Home to the Wellington City Council. |
| 12 | 111 Dixon Street | 70 m (230 ft) | 20 | 2019 | Residential | |
| 13 | Maritime Tower | 70 m (230 ft) | 18 | 2006 | Office | |
| 14 | Grant Thornton House | 70 m (230 ft) | 18 | 1983 | Office | Once known as ANZ Tower. |
| 15 | Westpac Tower | 70 m (230 ft) | 18 | 1978 | Office | |
Buildings Being Built or Planned
Wellington is always growing! Here are some buildings that are either being built now or are planned for the future.
| Name | Height | Floors | Planned Year | Purpose | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | One Whitmore Street | 63 m (207 ft) | 14 | 2023 | Commercial | This will be the Wellington office for BNZ bank. |
| 2 | Pinnacle on Victoria | 50 m (164 ft) | 17 | 2020/2021 | Residential | |
| 3 | Willis St concept tower | 134 m (440 ft) | 32 | ? | Mixed-use | This could be even taller than the Majestic Centre! |
Buildings That Were Demolished
Sometimes, old buildings are taken down to make way for new ones. Here are a couple of buildings that used to be tall in Wellington but are no longer standing.
| Name | Height | Floors | Built | Purpose | Why it was taken down |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revera House | 50 m (164 ft) | 10 | 1990 | Office | It was damaged in the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake. |
| 61 Molesworth St | 37 m (121 ft) | 10 | 1965 | Office | Also damaged by the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake. |
Cancelled Building Plans
Not all big building ideas come true. Here are some tall buildings that were planned for Wellington but never got built.
| Name | Height* | Floors* | Why it was cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ1 | 263 m (863 ft) | 63 | This would have been New Zealand's tallest building! The plan was stopped when the company building it went bankrupt. |
| Lambton Tower | ≈120 metres (394 ft) | 31 | This tower was planned way back in 1991 for the waterfront area. |
History of Wellington's Tallest Buildings
Wellington's skyline has changed a lot over the years. Here's a look at which buildings held the title of "tallest" over time.
| Name | Height | Years Tallest | More Facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| MLC Building | 45 m (148 ft) | 1939-1961 | It had 9 stories. It might have been the tallest in all of New Zealand when it was built. |
| Shell House | 46 m (151 ft) | 1961-1966 | This was the tallest office building in New Zealand when it was finished. |
| Vogel Building | 66 m (217 ft) | 1966-1968 | It was the second tallest building in New Zealand when it was built. |
| Aurora Centre | 68 m (223 ft) | 1968-1969 | This was also the second tallest building in New Zealand at the time. |
| Morrison Kent House | 76 m (249 ft) | 1969-1975 | It was the second tallest in New Zealand, after a building in Auckland. |
| Plimmer Towers | 85 m (279 ft) | 1975-1984 | This building was the tallest in New Zealand when it was completed. |
| AON Centre | 103 m (338 ft) | 1984-1991 | It was the tallest in New Zealand when it was built. It's a famous Wellington landmark. |
| Majestic Centre | 116 m (381 ft) | 1991–Present | This is the southernmost skyscraper in the entire world! It was the tallest in New Zealand for a short time. |
See also
- List of tallest buildings in Auckland
- List of tallest buildings in Christchurch
- List of tallest buildings in Oceania
