New archival building Topping Out celebration – 13 December 2023

20 December 2023

On Wednesday 13 December, the important milestone of ‘Topping Out’ was reached for the new archival building in Wellington.

This new building will provide a state-of-the-art archives repository, including digitisation and conservation facilities for Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, and Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision.

The topping out celebrated the highest point of construction being reached at the eight-storey building, which will be amongst the most seismic-resilient in the world. The building is scheduled to be occupied in 2025.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of the three cultural institutions, as well as representatives from The Department of Internal Affairs Te Tari Taiwhenua, construction partners LT McGuinness, architects Warren & Mahoney and Dexus.

Speeches were delivered by Phill Stanley, Development Manager, Dexus and Hoani Lambert, Deputy Chief Executive Te Haumi – Enterprise Partnerships. Hoani then grabbed a trowel and smoothed over some final cement on level 8, while Honiana Love, Chief Executive of Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision delivered a beautiful karakia as a representative of Taranaki Whānui Te Āti Awa.


Ngā Taonga Sound Honiana Love performs karakia while Hoani Lambert trowels freshly poured concrete at the topping out of the new archival building. Credit: Max Olijnyk/Te Tari Taiwhenua.


Representatives from Dexus, LT McGuinness, Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision and DIA (Archives NZ, National Library, Te Ara Tahi programme) celebrate the topping out of the new archival building. Credit: Max Olijnyk/Te Tari Taiwhenua