The Annex is the contemporary front door to Te Whare Whakarauika Wellington Town Hall, creating a welcoming civic threshold between the city's revitalised Te Ngākau Civic Square and one of New Zealand's most significant heritage buildings.
Designed by Warren and Mahoney in collaboration with mana whenua design lead Tihei, the project provides new front-of-house facilities including event entry spaces, hospitality offerings, accessible circulation and support functions that will enable the Town Hall to operate as a world-class performance and community venue. Inspired by the Māori concept of whakarauika – a gathering place for all – the design reflects the cultural narratives, histories and natural environment of Wellington. Its distinctive form and shimmering façade draw inspiration from the moana and the protective scales of a fish, creating a building that is both contemporary and deeply connected to place. Together, the Annex and restored Town Hall renew an important civic destination for future generations.
The building is constructed using engineered cross-laminated timber (CLT), reducing embodied carbon, accelerating on-site assembly and significantly lowering foundation demands compared with conventional construction. By repurposing the existing foundations of the former Municipal Office Building, the project minimises waste while delivering substantial cost and programme efficiencies.
The CLT structure is designed to rock on its foundations during major seismic events, contributing to Wellington's resilience while showcasing contemporary timber engineering.
Innovation extends beyond the structure to the integration of cultural design. Working alongside mana whenua design lead Tihei, the project embeds local narratives through form, materiality and crafted detail, from the fish-scale-inspired façade to the carved timber interior elements. The result is a highly expressive civic building that brings together sustainability, technology, identity and place-making in a uniquely Wellington way.
The Annex demonstrates an innovative approach to civic architecture by combining cultural storytelling, sustainable construction and seismic resilience within a highly constrained heritage context.
