Roger Walker ‘crown jewel’ penthouse listed after 30 years

Thursday, 24 July 2025

The penthouse apartment at Park mews is one of only two in the building with three bedrooms. Come and have a look around with us.

Park Mews has been a prominent architectural landmark in Wellington for more than 50 years - you’ve probably glimpsed it many times as you head out through Hataitai to the airport.

The apartment complex that last year celebrated its 50th birthday was a controversial development back in the ‘70s, and remains a delight for architectural aficionados.

Architect Roger Walker, who said he didn’t want to design “another bland block of flats” was awarded the Wellington Enduring Architecture Award for the project at the New Zealand Architecture Awards in 2018.

The Park Mews penthouse in Hataitai Wellington is a three-bedroom apartment with its own balcony. It has been in the same family for 30 years.

Now, the three-bedroom penthouse has come on the market for the first time in 30 years, which is a testament to its enduring appeal for the owners.

Architect Roger Walker took part in the Park Mews 50th anniverary celebrations last year.

The penthouse has all the Roger Walker “hallmarks”, including the large porthole windows, pointy roofs and colourful exterior - features that have seen it referred to in the past as “the Disneyland building”. It has been long known that Park Mews buyers are acquiring a piece of architectural history.

Exposed beams and ceilings are signature elements of the apartments.

The living area on the lower level opens out to a terrace.

The kitchen has its own porthole window, enuring the space is flooded with natural light, as are all the rooms.

The exposed stained timber beams and ceilings and painted white blockwork are other signature Walker features. The 30 homes were said to have “sold like hot cakes” when the complex was listed in 1974, with prices ranging from $15,000 to $40,000.

The bushy outlook also provides privacy.

This is the main bedroom. As with all the bedrooms, the ceilings follow the slope of the roof.

Lance Williams of Ray White Kilbirnie, who holds the penthouse listing with Sonya Jivan, says the three-bedroom apartment is the “crown jewel in the block”.

The penthouse is one of only two apartments in the complex to have three bedrooms.

They describe the apartment as “full of character, with a warm, retro-cool vibe that instantly feels like ‘home’”.

Park Mews was possibly the most controversial housing block to go up in Wellington in the 1970s. It has remained a classic.

One step and you’re outside on the sunny balcony.

While not especially large at 100m², the design is perfectly functional, with a U-shaped kitchen coming off an open-plan living area. An exposed timber staircase leads up to the three bedrooms, two of these are in the “tower” blocks, while the third has a steep gable - the ceilings follow the rooflines with exposed stained beams.

The clever design ensures each room has a double aspect and at least one large porthole window that frames the view. The kitchen also has a porthole window.

A large slider with yellow joinery opens to a long, sunny terrace with bush views. There’s also a single garage.

The penthouse, at 29/62 Moxham Ave, Hataitai, Wellington is for sale by deadline, with a closing date of August 14, 2025.

Industry update: Cotality puts the media value of properties in Hataitai at $1,144,472.

The company is predicting that owner-occupiers who are relocating, often referred to as “movers”, might be a group to watch.

The company’s latest property market report says: “Over the next quarter or two, there seems a good chance that first home buyers and mortgaged investors will continue to find market conditions to their liking. But movers (i.e. relocating owner occupiers ) could be worth watching, given that they’ve been relatively quiet in recent years, yet changes in household circumstances, such as births, marriages and job shifts are always happening.

“In other words, there might be some pent-up demand to move house, and a sluggish market can be an ideal time to do so.”