Wellington’s Embassy Theatre receives Earthquake-Prone Building notice

Wednesday, 16 July 2025

The Embassy Theatre in Wgtn in 1930, when it was called the de Luxe.

The iconic Embassy Theatre in Wellington has received an Earthquake-Prone Building notice, but Wellington City Council says business can operate as usual.

The Seismic Assessment, requested by the council in October 2024, confirmed parts of the building are below the 34% NBS threshold for being earthquake prone.

Under the NBS a building’s seismic performance rating is given based on its seismically weakest part. The building’s NBS rating is 30%.

The assessment states there is a 1.8% chance an earthquake could cause damage and a 0.3% chance the building would be occupied should an earthquake take place, according to the council.

The notice gives the Wellington City Council – as the building’s owner– 16 years to plan and carry out remedial works on the building.

The Embassy Threatre during the NZ Film Festival

Strengthening work above the main auditorium and on the Marjoribanks Steet façade would bring the building up to standard.

“We have concluded, on reviewing the latest advice in conjunction with the MBIE Seismic Risk Guidance for Buildings, that there is nothing within either assessment that indicates the building cannot continue to operate as normal,” council Chief Infrastructure Officer Jenny Chetwynd said.

The Embassy Theatre, on the corner of Marjoribank Street and Kent Terrace, is Wellington’s oldest and most iconic cinemas.

It is one of the only pre-World War II large-screen cinemas remaining in the country. Originally known as the De Luxe Cinema, it celebrated its centenary in 2024.