55 Molesworth Street

A 6 Green Star office development for Precinct Properties

The building provides a backdrop to the historic Wellington Cathedral of St Paul

55 Molesworth St overlooks Wellington's parliamentary precinct

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Designed for the future

Meeting the need for A‑grade workspace in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, 55 Molesworth Street is the new home for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). With large floorplates and a fully glazed façade, the design ensures occupants will benefit from a prestigious location, high degree of spatial flexibility, ample natural light, and 360-degree views across the Parliamentary precinct and Wellington Harbour.

Sustainability, wind mitigation and safety were key design drivers. With a 6 Green Star Design rating from the New Zealand Green Building Council, the 14-storey tower is clad in high-performance glass, which is sculpted into distinctive, vertical pleats. The form of the building is the result of extensive wind tunnel testing ensuring pedestrian safety and comfort at street level. Replacing the ICI Building, demolished following the 2016 Kaikoura earthquakes, the technically advanced seismic design far exceeds the National Building Standards, utilising fluid viscous dampers, making this one of the safest buildings in the city. The innovative design meets Wellington City Council Design Excellence requirements to achieve maximum developable height on the site.

Inspired by its prestigious setting

55 Molesworth Street is located on an elevated site to the north of the historic Wellington Cathedral of St Paul in Thorndon. The building provides a new backdrop to the heritage-listed landmark, and therefore careful consideration has been shown to complement the architecture of the Cathedral and its prominent belfry tower. The distinctive, contemporary design aligns with the Cathedral’s cardinal axis and nave; the stepped profile replicates the vertical proportions of the belfry, and the materiality of the new tower provides a translucent contrast to the solidity of the Cathedral.

The development includes a generous podium at ground-floor level which is entered from a new entry plaza on Molesworth Street. The podium is clad in limestone, to acknowledge the solidity of both the Cathedral, and National Library located across the street.