Wellington convention and exhibition centre starting to take shape

Thursday, 24 December 2020

Tākina, the Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, sits on council owned land on Cable Street opposite Te Papa.

Commuters returning from their holiday breaks can expect traffic disruption on Wellington's waterfront until the end of February as work resumes on the city's new convention centre.

Wellington City Council said Cable St would be down to one lane during weekdays between January 5 and January 29, while Wakefield St would be down to one lane on weekdays between February 1 and February 27.

The lane closures would enable trenches to be dug and pipes installed for the $179 million convention centre, which is scheduled to open to the public in mid-2023.

Traffic management would be in place prior to works starting on both phases, the council said.

The convention and exhibition centre on Wellington’s waterfront is starting to take shape.

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Work started on the complex late last year, with work recently starting on steel structures on the second floor.

“There will be lane restrictions and diversions during the road works, which will increase traffic on the remaining lanes.

“Information about lane closures will be managed through radio and social media at the start of the works and throughout the works period.”

Access to neighbouring buildings would be retained for residents and businesses, the council said.

The convention centre at Wellington’s Tākina sits across two levels and can host up to 1600 delegates.

“We want to thank the public for their patience and apologise in advance for any inconvenience.”

Work on the Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre began late last year, with the building’s exterior due to be completed by the end of 2022.

The venue is scheduled to open to the public in mid-2023, following internal outfitting.

Tākina, illustrated here in a concept drawing, is expected to increase annual GDP in Wellington by $44.8m and create 554 jobs.

Wellington City Council economic and commercial manager Danny McComb said steel structures had now been completed on the ground floor and most of the first floor, and had started on the second floor.

That followed the installation of base isolators shortly after the coronavirus lockdown, McComb said.

Excavation and piling work had been completed prior to that.

“The lockdown was definitely an unwanted delay, but we managed through that,” McComb said.

“It’s not really going to change the timing of the project. We're still on target for completing the build by 2022.”

The three-storey complex, between Cable St and Wakefield St on Wellington’s waterfront, will include meeting and exhibition spaces covering 10,000 square metres on the top two floors, and a 1280sqm exhibition gallery on the ground floor.

The ground floor was initially meant to house a Sir Peter Jackson movie museum, but that fell through following a series of disagreements between Jackson and the council.

The bronze colour scheme on the building’s facade was confirmed in May, with the council receiving updated renderings from Studio Pacific Architecture in September.

McComb said construction workers would take a break between December 24 and January 10, but be ack on the tools from January 11.

Councillors agreed in May to remove 21 parking spaces and a motorbike parking area to make way for the development.

The extra space will allow traffic light-controlled pedestrian crossings on Cable and Wakefield streets, as well as a widened footpath in front of the complex on Cable St, and a loading zone for visitors on Wakefield St.