In the heart of Te Whanganui-a-Tara, BNZ Place bridges tradition and modernity—an inclusive, bicultural workplace that fosters healing, connection, and a renewed sense of community through design.
Studio Pacific Architecture | Built around a design narrative of navigation, landform and seascape, key groupings of spaces, materials and circulation pathways lead you through the fitout and up through the floors to the sky.
BNZ Place at 1 Whitmore Street in Wellington is a testament to practical and purposeful workplace design. Occupying 17,000m2 across 12 floors, the interior design strategy is a balanced combination of sustainability, wellbeing, and functionality.
Extensive use of New Zealand sourced, Southland beech timber wall linings wrap up clusters of meeting spaces on each floor – creating objects to pass around in moving between collaboration areas, open plan work spaces and staff hubs located on each floor.
The fitout incorporates a café, retail and corporate banking spaces as well as bookable meeting and seminar space through the publicly accessible lower floors, before transitioning to BNZ working floors above. The top of the building is dedicated to BNZ staff amenities, terminating in a fully glazed roof terrace sitting beneath an open roof oculus, with views across to the hills encircling Wellington harbour.
BNZ Place is a practical workspace, emphasising operational efficiency, employee wellbeing, and sustainability. The interior design, with subtle nods to art and heritage, reflects a pragmatic approach, making it a symbol of innovative and functional workplace design.
BNZ Place stands as a testament to strategic foresight, embracing innovation in its design and specifications to provide greater amenity. The consolidation of all staff within this single, modern workplace signifies a commitment to operational efficiency and wellbeing.
Questions and Answers:
Q: How does BNZ Place reflect the bank’s journey and aspirations following its displacement after the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake?
A: BNZ Place represents a long-awaited homecoming. After being displaced into eight separate sites post-Kaikōura, the project consolidates BNZ’s Wellington staff into one flagship workplace for the first time in seven years. More than a workplace, the fitout was envisioned as an anchor — a physical and cultural reset designed to support wellbeing, flexibility, and connection in a post-COVID hybrid environment.
The design fosters a renewed sense of belonging and pride. It draws on the bank’s history, values, and original waterfront presence, integrating layers of cultural and environmental narrative that connect staff to place and purpose. BNZ Place is a hybrid workspace tailored to its people — and a visible signal of resilience, return and renewal.
Q: How does the fitout interpret the themes of navigation, landform and seascape throughout the building?
A: The overarching design narrative takes inspiration from navigation — both literal and metaphorical. From the harbourside setting to the celestial references in BNZ’s branding, wayfinding and movement are embedded throughout. A bespoke pattern referencing the puhoro adorns the interconnecting stair, evoking ocean journeys and the use of environmental markers by Pacific navigators.
Material and spatial language continues this idea. Curved linings and soft transitions between zones suggest landforms and waterlines, while deep blues, greys and natural timbers echo the sea and surrounding hills of Te Whanganui-a-Tara. The stair itself acts as a spine, connecting levels and allowing the narrative to unfold gradually — floor by floor — as staff move upward through the building.
Q: What were the key design moves that support wellbeing and inclusivity in the workplace?
A: Wellbeing was central to the design from the outset. Every floor includes a staff hub, with larger amenity areas at the top of the building offering yoga and cardio studios, wellness spaces, a multi-faith room, and a glazed rooftop terrace open to the sky. Sleep pods and games areas are integrated to encourage rest, connection, and balance.
The design also prioritises inclusivity and accessibility. Open-plan work zones, flexible furniture settings and discreet quiet spaces support a range of working styles. An internal stair, separate from the core, connects all working levels and encourages informal interaction. These layered design choices are about more than function — they reflect BNZ’s commitment to creating a workplace that supports the whole person.
Q: How was the client’s sustainability ambition realised through materials and construction?
A: Sustainability underpins the project at every level. BNZ repurposed and reupholstered much of its existing furniture, significantly reducing embodied carbon. Materials were carefully selected for durability, low maintenance, and environmental performance — including acoustic panels made from recycled content, carpets from fishing net fibres, and locally sourced Southland beech timber.
The building itself features base isolation and a diagrid structure for seismic resilience, while the fitout targets WELL Platinum certification. Carbon assessments were completed, with the interior design achieving 108kg CO₂e/m² whole-of-life embodied carbon — a strong result for a fitout of this scale. These initiatives work together to support a future-focused, resilient workplace.
Q: What role did mana whenua and cultural collaborators play in shaping the project?
A: The design team worked closely with the Tenths Trust and Māori designer Rangi Kipa of Tihei to embed cultural narrative into the project from the outset. This partnership informed key spatial elements, particularly the stair void — now the centrepiece of the fitout’s storytelling.
Wrapped in a puhoro motif and graphic representation of the Taranaki karakia He Ata, the stair becomes a visual and symbolic journey through space. A celestial ceiling lighting arrangement evokes the Southern Cross, reinforcing the navigation theme and connecting to BNZ’s brand. These elements are not decorative — they are essential expressions of identity, belonging, and partnership with place.
Project: BNZ Place
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Project Size: 17,130 m2
Design Studio: Studio Pacific Architecture
Photo Credit: Jason Mann
Website: studiopacific.co.nz
