One Whitmore Street
Redefining the Wellington waterfront
Project Details
| Client | One Whitmore LP, Newcrest LP |
| Sector | Commercial |
| Location | Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington |
| Discipline | Architecture, Interior Design |
| Status | Due for completion in 2023 |
| Size | 20,000 sqm |
| Design Collaborator(s) | Newcrest, Dunning Thornton Consultants, eCubed |
A landmark development
One Whitmore Street is Jasmax's latest project for long-time client Newcrest LP, building on a design partnership that includes ground-breaking projects like the NZI Centre. The landmark building will be the new home to BNZ Bank when it opens in 2023.
Occupying a full city block, it will provide panoramic harbour views alongside design features that will make it one of the safest office buildings in the city. The meticulously detailed development is designed to respond to Wellington’s famous weather providing an elegant and resilient addition to the city.
Formed from forces of nature
The building’s subtle convex profile, and rounded corners were conceived in part by the practical requirements of building a tower in a city prone to high wind speeds. Research has demonstrated that towers can cause severe ‘downdraft effects’, increasing the impact of wind, especially at street level. Rigorous wind tunnel testing helped refine the sleek form of One Whitmore Street, which appears almost polished by the elements. The shape is designed to disperse and reduce the force of gusts, alleviating potential downdraft effects.
Efficient floorplates will maximise the usable floor area and have been informed by extensive design conversations with both the developer and the future tenant. Alongside a glass skin that will maximises light and views, and a 6m high entry lobby and café, value adding elements such as a rooftop courtyard will provide show-stopping social spaces. BNZ Executive General Manager Technology and Operations, Russell Jones, has noted that “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 Wellington people and for our customers to visit.”
A high-tech safe haven
The Wellington CBD is an area known internationally for its seismic activity. Following the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, Wellington lost a significant amount of building stock, highlighting the need for the higher quality resilient office space One Whitmore Street will provide.
Base isolation was determined to provide the best engineering response for a tower in this location. With a diagrid structure supported on piles which extend 60m below ground, the design targets an NBS rating well in excess of building code requirements for seismic strength. The building is designed to avoid damage even in the case of a once in 500 year event earthquake.
