Former Supreme Court Building

• 1883 - 1883
• Application for relaxation in building regulations, old Supreme Court Thomas Turnbull (00233:9:1883/6517)
• 1883 - 1883
• Relaxation of building regulations and the old Supreme Court house - Moorehouse, Edwards & Cutten (00233:9:1883/6590)
• 1885 - 1885
• Water meter Supreme Court Public Works Department (00233:12:1885/955)
• 1911 - 1911
• Re repairs to footpath at Supreme Court - G H Veale (00233:214:1911/2511)
• 1940 - 1940
• Supply of water to Supreme Court (Stout Street), Department of Justice (00001:1606:40/406)
• 1956 - 1956
• Ballance Street (32-42 Stout Street), alterations to the Supreme Court (00044:8:100)
• 1956 - 1988
• Building: Stout Street, Justice Department, Supreme Court (00009:159:6/1617)
• 2007 - 2007
• 34 Stout Street, 8591 Lambton Quay, new Supreme Court of NZ (00078:3251:168162)
• 2007 - 2007
• 34 Stout Street, 85-91 Lambton Quay, Old Supreme Court Building (OHCB) envelope and interior for the project, and includes the Fire Report for OHCB and the new Supreme Court. Stage 3 (00078:3316:170205)
• 2008 - 2008
• 34 Stout Street, 85-91 Lambton Quay, architectural envelope of the new supreme court building Section 77, stage 5 (00078:3317:179665)
• 2009 - 2009
• 34 Stout Street, 8591 Lambton Quay, Internal fitout of the new supreme court 3 Levels basement, ground, 1st floor. Stage 7 (00078:3301:190618)
• 2009 - 2009
• 34 Stout Street, 8591 Lambton Quay, Supreme Court of New Zealand Siteworks and landscaping Stage 8 (00078:3317:196744)

• 1879 - 1993
• Ministry of Justice High Court
• 1993
• Ministry of Justice Supreme Court

Not assessed

The old Supreme Court Building is one of the most significant and oldest of the buildings in the Stout Street Heritage Area. It was the first major masonry structure to be built by the government in Wellington after the 1855 earthquake and was completed in 1880 on newly reclaimed land.

Designed by P.F.M. Burrows in a carefully correct and quite elegant Palladian neo-Classical style, the old Supreme Court has a strong sense of the formal buildings of 18th century England in its appearance. It is constructed in traditional load-bearing masonry with a plaster render, a significant expression of permanence and strength appropriate to its sober function.

It has a well-balanced composition, enhanced by well-designed additions of 1906 and 1913, consisting of a T-shaped plan with a two storey main block rising above flanking pavilions. The detailing is rather severe and formal but is carefully composed and elegantly executed. The lower storey is strongly rusticated above a low plain plastered base and features round-headed windows with prominent keystone details, a mid-level string course and an openwork balustraded parapet above a projecting cornice. The second storey is more ornamented with a regular composition of Composite-order pilasters framing square-headed windows with triangular pediments supported on corbels. A strong cornice line with dentils and consoles is all that remains of the original triangular pediments which were removed in the 1950s – but missing elements were replaced in the c.2009 restoration works and the building now closely resembles its original design.

While both the exterior and interior of the building were altered and added to over the 112 years of court use, the building retains a high degree of authenticity, particularly in the interior which has some work of exceptional quality(especially in the main courtroom), and it retains very high heritage values.

The building now serves as an annexe to the new Supreme Court building (2009) – a large modern curtain-walled ‘box’ that has been over-clad by a decorative bronze screen. The interiors of the new building, particularly the new courtroom ‘pod’ clad in kauri and copper, are particularly fine.

The building is constructed in load bearing brick masonry on concrete foundations and piles. The floors and roof are timber framed. The exterior was originally plastered with a mixture of sand and cement and the roof was originally shingled.

During the refurbishment of the building a number of changes were made to the fabric of the building. Many of the original timber windows were removed and repaired, any decayed sections were replaced using similar timbers, in most cases heart Totara and Heart Rimu. Finishing trims were repaired and replaced in materials that matched the original, in most places Swamp Kauri. The original Matai flooring was salvaged and re-laid. The timber panelling and carving was repaired and refitted to the interior walls. New doors were installed that matched the originals that had been repaired and all doors were placed on new hinges and fitted with new locks, latches, handles etc. The ceiling plaster was removed and replaced with new fibrous plaster. The exterior plasterwork was also removed during the refurbishment and replaced with a Sto Stolit MP Remedial Plaster system and the building was also base isolated.

The old Supreme Court building has a high townscape value. It is bounded by Lambton Quay, Ballance, Stout, and Whitmore Streets, with its main frontage onto Stout Street and occupies a prominent corner within the CBD. The building has been adapted to join the new Supreme Court building (2009) and now serves an ancillary function to the new building. The new “Justice Park” complex occupies a key street block in the CBD, and is part of the Stout Street Heritage Area.

The building can be seen as a counterpoint to the old Government Buildings – its near neighbour on Lambton Quay. The two buildings show the transition between timber and brick as the predominant building material in the CBD – the old Government Buildings was one of the last (and one of only two surviving) timber buildings on the Golden Mile whereas the old Supreme Court is one of the oldest surviving masonry buildings.

• Architectural

  Does the item have architectural or artistic value for characteristics that may include its design, style, era, form, scale, materials, colour, texture, patina of age, quality of space, craftsmanship, smells, and sounds?

  The old Supreme Court Building is a fine example of a Classical civic building designed in a distinguished Neo-Palladian style. It is notable for the high quality of its design, materials and workmanship – particularly in the interior spaces such as the old courtroom. It was the first masonry building built by the government in Wellington following the 1855 earthquake.

• Group

  Is the item part of a group of buildings, structures, or sites that taken together have coherence because of their age, history, style, scale, materials, or use?

  The building contributes to the Stout Street Heritage Area.

• Townscape

  Does the item have townscape value for the part it plays in defining a space or street; providing visual interest; its role as a landmark; or the contribution it makes to the character and sense of place of Wellington?

  This building has extremely high townscape values and occupies a prominent CBD site.

• Association

  Is the item associated with an important person, group, or organisation?

  The old Supreme Court building provides a continuous link with the administration of justice in New Zealand over the past 130+ years. It was presided over by all Chief Justices between 1881 and 1993 and saw a number of important cases in legal history during that time. It is now in use as part of the new Supreme Court complex.

  The building is a significant work by a prominent architect P.F.M Burrows. 

  
  

• Archaeological

  Does the item have archaeological value for its ability to provide scientific information about past human activity?

  The Former Supreme Court building is associated with a number of archaeological sites including: the Thorndon Reclamation, NZAA Central City R27/270, Police Station R27/272, Magistrates Court R27/273, Court of Arbitration R27/27, and Supreme Court R27/275.

• Educational

  Does the item have educational value for what it can demonstrate about aspects of the past?

  This building has important education value for what it can demonstrate about the Court system in New Zealand throughout the 20th century. The style of the court in New Zealand has changed significantly over this time, so the former Supreme Court building is important as a representative of its time.

• Technological

  Does the item have technological value for its innovative or important construction methods or use of materials?

  There is technical value as an early surviving example of a masonry building in earthquake-prone Wellington. The high quality of the interior fixtures and finishes is also of technological value.

• Identity/Sense Of Place/Continuity

  Is the item a focus of community, regional, or national identity? Does the item contribute to sense of place or continuity?

  This building is the oldest building on Stout Street, and contributes to the sense of place and continuity of the Stout Street Heritage Area. It was home to New Zealand’s highest court for over a century and contributes to Wellington’s identity as the nation’s capital city.

• Public Esteem

  Is the item held in high public esteem?

  This building is held in very high public esteem. This can be demonstrated by the intense, high-level negotiations that were held as part of the process to develop the Justice Park site.

• Sentiment/Connection

  Is the item a focus of community sentiment and connection?

  The former Supreme Court remains in use by the Ministry of Justice as part of the new Supreme Court complex and is likely to be a focus of community sentiment and connection.

• Symbolic, Commemorative, Traditional, Spiritual

  Does the item have symbolic, commemorative, traditional, spiritual or other cultural value for the community who has used and continues to use it?

  This building possesses significant traditional and commemorative values due to the contribution that it has made, and the role that it has had, in the history of the justice system in New Zealand. It is of particular importance to the legal community as the home of the High Court between 1881 and 1993. It is still used for commemorative events such as the admittance to the bar.

• Authentic

  Does the item have authenticity or integrity because it retains significant fabric from the time of its construction or from later periods when important additions or modifications were carried out?

  This building has authenticity and integrity as it retains a great amount of original material. Although this building has been refurbished, all modifications were carried out to a high degree of quality, repairing original features and only replacing features that were too deteriorate to be re-used. The base isolation of this building is an important feature as it secures its future retention.

• Rare

  Is the item rare, unique, unusual, seminal, influential, or outstanding?

  The former Supreme Court is one of the nation’s most significant civic buildings and has outstanding cultural heritage value. The building is one of the oldest masonry buildings in Wellington

• Representative

  Is the item a good example of the class it represents?

  This building is a good representative of the Classical tradition built in masonry.

• Importance

  Is the item important for any of the above characteristics at a local, regional, national, or international level?

  The former Supreme Court is a nationally significant building. It was the home of the highest court in New Zealand’s from 1880 – 1993, and is now part of the new Supreme Court complex.

Not assessed

• “Heritage Building – 34-42 Stout Street”. 1996. 1041-06-STOU36. Wellington City Council Records.
• Historic Places Trust, ‘P.F.M. Burrows’. Professional Biographies. Accessed 13 June 2013.
• Wellington City Council. Wellington Heritage Building Inventory 2001: Non Residential Buildings. Wellington City Council, 2001.
• Kelly, Michael, and Russell Murray. Stout Street Heritage Area Report. Wellington City Council: Unpublished Report, prepared for Plan Change 32, 2007.

• Inventory Report

Not available