Woolstore Design Centre

268 Thorndon Quay (also known as 262 Thorndon Quay), Pipitea, Wellington
❰ ❱
Image: WCC - Charles Collins, 2015
Image: WCC - Charles Collins, 2015
Extent: Cityview GIS 2012

Extent: Cityview GIS 2012

“Page 2 Advertisements Column 1”, Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 69, 23 March 1910, Page 2
“Page 2 Advertisements Column 1”, Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 69, 23 March 1910, Page 2
Wool Store, front elevation, 1910. (WCC Archives ref 00053:157:8690)
Wool Store, front elevation, 1910. (WCC Archives ref 00053:157:8690)
Wool Store, basement plan, 1910. (WCC Archives ref 00053:157:8690)
Wool Store, basement plan, 1910. (WCC Archives ref 00053:157:8690)
Wool Store, ground floor plan, 1910. (WCC Archives reference 00053:157:8690)
Wool Store, ground floor plan, 1910. (WCC Archives reference 00053:157:8690)
The Woolstore in c.1905. National Library reference: Thorndon, Wellington. Ref: 1/2-026970-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22674435
The Woolstore in c.1905. 


National Library reference: Thorndon, Wellington. Ref: 1/2-026970-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22674435

Map

  • Constructed

    1910 - 1910

  • Architect(s)

    Thomas Turnbull and Son / William Turnbull

  • Builder(s)

    Unknown

  • The Woolstore building is a particularly fine example of an industrial structure of the first decade of the 20th century, with aesthetic value deriving from the regular, ordered and solid form of the building, and the colour and patterning of the brickwork. The building is notable for the quality of the design, materials and construction, and is a major work by the prominent local architectural practice of Thomas Turnbull and Son.

    The building makes a major contribution to the streetscape quality of the area in an otherwise undistinguished part of the city. The building has strong townscape qualities as it marks the transition between Thorndon residential areas and the reclaimed land occupied by the railway and shunting yards.

    The building has an association with the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency, a historically important company in New Zealand for nearly a century, and this building is an elegant reminder of its success.

    The Woolstore building has a high level of authenticity as all significant structural components are intact, and the main façade to Thorndon Quay is unaltered except for ground floor entrances. This also gives the building high technical value.

  • Downloadable(s)

    Download this content as PDF

  • close History

    • The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency (NZLMA) was a London based subsidiary of the Bank of New Zealand. It was established in 1865, partly as a mortgage agency for British investors in New Zealand, but also to as an agent for produce, and as ‘financial and general’ commercial agents.

      New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company purchased lots 57-60 of reclaimed land from the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company in 1908, partly due to its proximity to the wharves.

      The building, designed by noted Wellington architects Thomas Turnbull & Son, was built to meet their requirements for a place to store and display wool, grains, hides and manure and also to provide office space. It was designed as a three storey building, complete with a basement, with a steel frame and brick walls. Of note at the time were the link elevators for conveying wool directly from the cart dock to the showroom floors. Construction was largely carried out by Campbell and Burke in 1910 and at the time the building’s construction cost an estimated at £18,000.

      The building was transferred in 1961 to Dalgetys, a firm which was subsequently taken over by Fletcher Challenge, then sold to the New Zealand Wool Marketing Coorporation (later called the New Zealand Wool Board) in 1976.

      In 1984 Anthony Stevens Holdings Ltd purchased the property and used the space as an indoor sports arena for hockey and cricket. In 1991 The Woolstore purchased the property and carried out internal alterations to the building in the late 1990s to convert the building into a large retail and commercial space. Paulemas Properties Ltd, purchased the building in 2004. Today there are 18 tenants in the building, including photography studios, an architectural firm and interior decorators. Its largely unaltered street frontage is a feature of the building today, which is largely in use as an upmarket retail centre known as ‘The Woolstore Design Centre’.

    • Modifications close
      • 1910 - 1910
      • Building constructed. (00053:157:8690)
      • 1947 - 1947
      • Timber floor. (00056:333:B25916)
      • 1960 - 1960
      • Alterations. (00058:145:C6843)
      • 1961 - 1961
      • Alterations. (00058:374:C15993)
      • 1968 - 1968
      • Alterations and egress. (00058:579:C27486)
      • 1984 - 1984
      • Warehouse alterations. (00058:0:C66644 and 00058:0:C66644)
      • 1985 - 1985
      • Warehouse alterations. (00059:0:D1014)
      • 1987 - 1987
      • Business additions and alterations. (00059:164:D8409)
      • 1991 - 1991
      • Office and building partitions. (00059:476:E22991)
      • 1994 - 1994
      • Plumbing. (00060:184:6647)
      • 1999 - 1999
      • Internal alterations to toilets, (00078:289:57068); Internal alterations to entry foyer, (00078:383:54401); Demolition and tenancy fitout (00078:405:58356); Office fit-out (00078:769:54968); Office fit-out (00078:1690:54002)
      • 2008 - 2008
      • Two sinks added to level 1. (00078:2706:184082)
      • 2006 - 2006
      • Thorndon Quay, new partitions for offices in basement, existing partition walls on ground floor demolished, stair void and opening to Woolstore, new shop frontage on first floor, opening to Woolstore, alter WC on second floor (00078:2723:149373), and existing kitchen refurbished. (00078:2724:155978)
      • 2009 - 2009
      • Interior fitout on Level 2. (00078:2746:120282)
    • Occupation History close
      • unknown
      • Over the years the building has accommodated many uses including, storage warehousing, retail, indoor sports arena and more recently offices and showrooms. The current 18 occupants include a strong representation from design-related fields, including interior and kitchen decorators, architects, photographers and designers. There is also a café and deli.
  • close Architectural Information
    • Building Classification(s) close

      Not assessed

    • Architecture close

      The Woolstore Design Centre is an impressive brick building, three tall storeys high with a basement floor below the street level, one of a group of industrial buildings at the junction of Tinakori Road, Thorndon Quay and the Hutt Road. It has strong townscape qualities in this area, marking the transition between Thorndon housing and reclaimed land now largely occupied by railway uses. Opposite the building on Thorndon Quay there is a stand of old pohutukawa, while behind it are rail tracks and the urban motorway.

      The structure of the building is typical for its time, and of good quality materials. Foundations are concrete piers, walls are brick with concrete-encased steel beams at each floor level, and the timber-framed floors are supported on steel stanchions. The flooring is heart matai. The roof has a saw-tooth form, facing south, with short steel trusses spanning at right angles to the line of saw-tooth profile. The main facade, facing west onto Thorndon Quay, is divided into seven bays by tall brick columns that rise above the main parapet line to give a stepped profile to the silhouette of the building. Between the columns, strong horizontal elements break the facade up into a regular grid. There are two large windows to each of the bays, the middle and outer bay windows on the top floor having arched openings. Patterned brickwork at the base of the parapet is the only decorative feature in an otherwise orderly and logical facade. The colour and careful detailing of brickwork, the strong functional ethic that pervades its design, and the sheer bulk of the building, make this one of the city’s best industrial structures.

      The east façade is less ornamented and is mainly seen from the railway yards, although the upper part, and the saw-tooth roof, is very visible from the elevated motorway to the east.

      Now adapted internally for modern retail and office uses, the exterior of the building maintains a very high level of authenticity. Comparison with the original drawings by Thomas Turnbull show alterations at the ground floor door openings but otherwise very little change apart from modern light-wells, stair-wells lifts, and partitioning.

    • Materials close

      Brick, steel and concrete.

    • Setting close

      The Woolstore Design Centre is located at the north end of Thorndon Quay, sandwiched between the road at the foot of Tinakori Hill and the railway yards. The Wellington urban motorway flies at high level to the east of the building, affording good views of the dramatic roofscape and the wider setting of northern Thorndon. The building is set in a commercial area, and is one of the few large brick warehouses remaining in Wellington. It is abutted at the north by a modest two-storied commercial building and at the south by a more recent warehouse building of similar scale and with a matching saw-tooth roof.

  • close Cultural Value

    The Woolstore building is a particularly fine example of an industrial structure of the first decade of the 20th century, with aesthetic value deriving from the regular, ordered and solid form of the building, and the colour and patterning of the brickwork. The building is notable for the quality of the design, materials and construction, and is a major work by the prominent local architectural practice of Thomas Turnbull and Son.

    The building makes a major contribution to the streetscape quality of the area in an otherwise undistinguished part of the city. The building has strong townscape qualities as it marks the transition between Thorndon residential areas and the reclaimed land occupied by the railway and shunting yards.

    The building has an association with the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency, a historically important company in New Zealand for nearly a century, and this building is an elegant reminder of its success.

    The Woolstore building has a high level of authenticity as all significant structural components are intact, and the main façade to Thorndon Quay is unaltered except for ground floor entrances. This also gives the building high technical value.

    • Aesthetic Value close

      • 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 Woolstore building is a particularly fine example of an industrial structure of the first decade of the 20th century, with aesthetic value deriving from the regular, ordered and solid form of the building, and the colour and patterning of the brickwork. The building is notable for the quality of the design, materials and construction, and is a major work by the prominent local architectural practice of Thomas Turnbull and Son.

      • 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 is set within a group of industrial buildings at the junction of Tinakori Road, Thorndon Quay and the Hutt Road.

      • 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?

        The building makes a major contribution to the streetscape quality of the area in an otherwise undistinguished part of the city. The building has strong townscape qualities as it marks the transition between Thorndon residential areas and the reclaimed land occupied by the railway and shunting yards.

    • Historic Value close

      • Association

        Is the item associated with an important historic event, theme, pattern, phase, or activity?

        This high quality industrial building is indicative of the huge historical importance of wool in the economy, both locally and nationally.

      • Association

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

        The quality of this warehouse is evidence of the prosperity of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency, and the economy in general, during the early 20th century. The NZLMA was an historically important company in New Zealand for nearly a century and this building is an elegant reminder of its success.

    • Scientific Value close

      • Archaeological

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

        As the building is on land reclaimed after 1900, it is unlikely that there is archaeological value to the site.

      • Technological

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

        The use of brick for both structural and decorative purposes marks this out as a building of some technological value.

    • Social Value close

      • 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?

        The building façade has remained (relatively) unaltered for over 100 years and makes a strong positive contribution to the sense of place and continuity of the Thorndon Quay streetscape.

    • Level of Cultural Heritage Significance close

      • 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?

        The Woolstore building has a high level of authenticity as all significant structural components are intact, and the main façade to Thorndon Quay is unaltered except for ground floor entrances. This also gives the building high technical value.

      • Rare

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

        As one of the best of the surviving privately-owned harbour-side warehouses in Wellington, it has rarity value.

      • Representative

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

        It is a very good example of an industrial structure of the first decade of the 20th century.

    • Local / Regional / National / International Importance close

      Not assessed

  • close Site Detail

    • District Plan Number

      15/ 454

    • Legal Description

      Lot 57-60 DP 2055

    • Heritage New Zealand Listed

      Not listed

    • Archaeological Site

      Risk unknown

    • Current Uses

      unknown

    • Former Uses

      unknown

    • Has building been funded

      No

    • Funding Amount

      Not applicable

    • Earthquake Prone Status

      Not Earthquake Prone

  • close Additional Information
    • Sources close
      • CT WN 175/139, Land Information New Zealand
      • Historic Places Trust, “Thomas Turnbull”, Professional Biographies, Accessed: August 2012,
      • Wellington City Council, “Woolstore Design Centre”, Wellington Heritage Building Inventory 2001: Non-Residential Buildings. Wellington City Council, 2001, THOR2.
      • “The Woolstore Design Centre”, Accessed July 2012.
      • Archives: “262-276 Thorndon Quay, wool store”, June 15, 1910, 00053:157:8690, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “262-276 Thorndon Quay, wool store”, 15 Jun 1910, 00053:157:8690, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “262, 264, 266, 268, 270, 272 Thorndon Quay, timber floor”, 22 May 1947, 00056:333:B25916, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “262/276 Thorndon Quay, woolstore alterations”, 17 Jun 1960, 00058:145:C6843, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “262/276 Thorndon Quay, alterations to store”, 26 Nov 1961, 00058:374:C15993, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “262/276 Thorndon Quay, egress”, 09 Sep 1968, 00058:579:C27486, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “262/276 Thorndon Quay, alt store”, 09 Sep 1968, 00058:579:C27487, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “268-274 Thorndon Quay, warehouse alterations”, 13 Sep 1984, 00058:0:C66198,
      • Archives: Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “258-264 Thorndon Quay, warehouse alterations”, 12 Nov 1984, 00058:0:C66644, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “258-264 Thorndon Quay, warehouse alterations”, 16 Jul 1985, 00059:0:D1014, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “258-264 Thorndon Quay, business additions and alterations”, 1987, 00059:164:D8409, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “268 Thorndon Quay, office building – partitions”, 1991, 00059:476:E22991, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “262 Thorndon Quay, Plumbing”, 07 Sep 1994, 00060:184:6647, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “262 Thorndon Quay, internal alterations to toilets”, 1999, 00078:289:57068, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “262 Thorndon Quay, internal alterations to entry foyer”, 1999, 00078:383:54401, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “262-264 Thorndon Quay, demolition and tenancy fitout”, 1999, 00078:405:58356, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “262 Thorndon Quay, office fitout”, 1999, 00078:769:54968, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “262-264 Thorndon Quay, office fitout”, 1999, 00078:1690:54002, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “268 Thorndon Quay, new partition for offices in basement, demolish existing partition walls on ground floor, stair void and opening to Woolstore, new shop frontage on first floor, opening to Woolstore, alter WC on second floor”, 2006, 00078:2723:149373, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “258-268 Thorndon Quay, refurbish existing kitchen”, 2006, 00078:2724:155978, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “268-274 Thorndon Quay, add two sinks to level 1 The Woolstore Design Centre”, 2008, 00078:2706:184082, Wellington City Archives.
      • Archives: “268 Thorndon Quay, The Woolstore, interior fitout, level 2”, 2009, 00078:2746:120282, Wellington City Archives.
      • Newspapers: “Page 2 Advertisements Column 1”, Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 69, 23 March 1910.
      • “Page 2 Advertisements Column 1”, Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 69, 23 March 1910.
    • Technical Documentation close
    • Footnotes close

      Not available

Last updated: 7/31/2017 3:20:32 AM