BNZ secures new Wellington HQ

Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) today announced a new state of the art home for its Wellington staff securing One Whitmore Street as its Wellington HQ from 2023.

The building is one of the most seismically advanced developments in New Zealand with a strong diagrid structure and base isolation, designed to avoid structural damage in a 1 in 500 year earthquake.  The building has 12 storeys, spans a full city block, is highly efficient and designed to achieve a New Zealand Green Building Council 5 Green Star rating.

BNZ Executive General Manager Technology and Operations, Russell Jones, says the new Wellington head-office will bring together hundreds of BNZers who previously worked from several sites in the Wellington CBD.

Russell says, “One Whitmore Street will bring all our people together under one roof and firmly cement our roots in the capital.

“This is a fantastic building in the heart of the city which will be a great place to work for our Wellingtonpeople and for our customers to visit,” he says.

The One Whitmore Street development is being managed by Newcrest which recently completed the nearby award-winning office building at 20 Customhouse Quay.  One Whitmore Street is owned by a joint venture between Newcrest and Steve Owen, a Wellington-born private investor.

Newcrest development director Lincoln Fraser says, “We are very pleased to be working with the BNZ to create another modern, safe and highly resilient office tower for the Wellington CBD.”

The Z Energy fuel station on the site will close prior to work beginning on the new building.