The Beehive

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Beehive
Te Whare Mīere (Māori)
Bowen House (left), the Beehive (centre) and Parliament (right). A very similar view of the latter two buildings features on New Zealand's $20 banknote.
Interactive map of the Beehive area
Alternative names
Executive Wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings
General information
LocationCorner of Molesworth Street and Lambton Quay, Wellington
Coordinates41°16′42″S 174°46′36″E / 41.2784°S 174.7767°E / -41.2784; 174.7767
Construction started
1969 (1969)
Completed1981 (1981)[1]
InauguratedMay 1977
Renovated
  • 1998–2006
  • 2013–2014
OwnerGovernment of New Zealand
Height
Height72 metres (236 ft)
Technical details
Floor count10
Design and construction
ArchitectBasil Spence
Structural engineer
Ministry of Works
Renovating team
ArchitectWarren and Mahoney
Website
official website
Designated24 July 2015
Reference no.9629

The Beehive (Māori: Te Whare Mīere)[2][3] is the common name for the Executive Wing of New Zealand Parliament Buildings, located at the corner of Molesworth Street and Lambton Quay, Wellington. It is so-called because its shape is reminiscent of that of a traditional woven form of beehive known as a skep. It is registered as a Category I heritage building by Heritage New Zealand.

Construction began in 1969 and was completed in 1981. Since 1979, the building has housed the offices of government ministers. Thus, the name "Beehive" is closely linked with the New Zealand Government.[4] It is often used as a metonym for the New Zealand leadership at large, with "the 9th floor" specifically referring to the office of the prime minister, which is based on that floor.[5] Cabinet meets on the top floor. Since 1992 the Beehive has featured as part of the design of the New Zealand twenty-dollar note.[6] A survey commissioned by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand found that the Beehive is "a New Zealand icon and as such is readily recognisable".[7]

History

In the 1960s the government proposed an extension of Parliament House, which had only been partly built in 1922. Prime Minister Keith Holyoake wanted to complete the original plan, but the government architect persuaded him to approve a modern building which would house parliamentary offices.[8]

In 1964, Scottish architect Basil Spence provided the original conceptual design of a round building rising in steps, which he dubbed "The Beehive" in reference to its shape and purpose as a hub or central point.[9] Legend says that Spence drew the design on the back of a napkin while having dinner with Holyoake.[10] Responding to criticism of his controversial concept, Spence said that he had been thinking about the design for months and it was not "a half-baked idea".[11][12] A parliamentary committee approved Spence's sketch plans for the Beehive in June 1965, saying that the circular design provided functional efficiency and a high percentage of usable space, had a distinctive appearance and was in "broad harmony" with the legislative building.[13] By this time, Spence was distancing himself from his design concept.[14] The detailed architectural design was undertaken by the New Zealand government architect Fergus Sheppard.[15] The Beehive's circular footprint is generally considered an elegant and distinctive design feature. However it also causes problems, as many of the rooms are wedge-shaped, curved or asymmetrical.[16]

W. M. Angus constructed the first stage, beginning in 1969 — the podium, underground car park and basement for a national civil defence centre. Gibson O'Connor Construction constructed the remaining ten floors of the building.[17]

Queen Elizabeth II opening the Beehive, 28 February 1977

Bellamy's catering facilities moved into the building in the summer of 1975–1976 and Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, unveiled a plaque in the reception hall in February 1977. The Prime Minister, Robert Muldoon, formally opened the building in May 1977. The government moved into the upper floors in 1979. The annexe facing Museum Street was completed in 1981.[17]

In the late 1990s, there was consideration of moving the Beehive behind Parliament House and finishing Parliament House according to the 1911 original plans. The plan was scuttled due to public outcry at the cost.[18] Renovations to the Beehive were carried out and the interior was modernised between 1998 and 2006 to plans by Christchurch architecture firm Warren and Mahoney. At this time an extension was built at the front to allow for a new security entrance, and a new, bomb-proof mail delivery room was built at the rear of the building.[19] In 2013 and 2014, the roof was repaired and windows replaced.[15]

In July 2015, Heritage New Zealand declared the Beehive "of outstanding heritage significance for its central role in the governance of New Zealand". Blyss Wagstaff of Heritage New Zealand called it "one of the most recognisable buildings in the country". Heritage New Zealand assigned the highest rating for a historic place, Category I, to the building.[15] The original application for the heritage designation was made by Lockwood Smith, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives. The heritage registration became effective on 24 July 2015. A tunnel which extends from the Beehive to Bowen House was specifically excluded from the heritage registration.[15][20]

Description

A view of the Beehive from above, showing the much larger structure at its base

The building is ten storeys (72 metres (236 ft)) high and has four floors below ground.[21] New base-isolation techniques for the building were developed by Dr Bill Robinson. The building was balanced on 417 Robinson bearings using steel shims and layers of rubber that act as shock absorbers in an earthquake.[22] (Robinson later developed lead/rubber bearings).

The Beehive's brown roof is made from 20 tonnes (44,000 lb) of hand-welded and seamed copper. It has developed a naturally weathered appearance.

The Beehive is connected to Parliament House by an atrium, and there is an underground passage running from the Beehive under Bowen Street to Bowen House, a 22-storey office building on the corner of Lambton Quay and Bowen Street that was leased by parliament in 1991 to house some members of parliament and government staff.[23][24] The underground passage originally had travelators, but due to aging parts and reduced foot traffic, the travelators were decommissioned in August 2025. The passage remains open to unassisted foot traffic for parliamentary staff moving between the Beehive and Bowen House.[25]

The upper floors of the Beehive contains offices for members of parliament. Other facilities within the building include function rooms; a theatrette which is commonly used for government press conferences; a banquet hall; a gym and a swimming pool.

Catering facilities include a bar known as Pickwicks or 3.2 (due to its position in the building on the third floor and second corridor), Copperfield's café, and the Members and Members and Guests restaurants.

The building also houses, in its basement, the country's National Crisis Management Centre.[20]

The publicly-accessible entrance foyer's core is decorated with marble floors, stainless steel mesh wall panels, columns clad in Tākaka marble and a translucent glass ceiling.[17]

Offices

The upper floors of the Beehive house the Cabinet and the Prime Minister's office

The top floor is occupied by the Cabinet room, with the prime minister's offices directly beneath on the ninth floor (and part of the eighth).[15] The upper portion of the Beehive also contains the offices of other ministers; senior ministers are situated in proximity to the prime minister's office according to their ranking in Cabinet. The seniority of a minister is reflected in how far up the building they are.[15][26] Some ministers, especially junior ministers, are based in Bowen House.

Banquet Hall

The Banquet Hall on the first floor is reached via a marble staircase from the ground floor. It is the largest function room in the parliamentary complex, able to hold 300 seated guests or 500 standing guests.[27] The banquet hall extends around the curve of the building: when the Beehive was opened there was criticism that many guests would have to sit with their backs to the guests of honour.[28] The main kitchen is located on the ground floor,[29] which means that food has to be transported to the Banquet Hall by lift. This led to criticism that was it difficult to keep the food hot or maintain a steady service to guests.[28]

Art work

The Beehive is extensively decorated with New Zealand art and was designed to showcase the country's creative artists.[30] On the inner wall of the Banquet Hall is a mural by John Drawbridge 42 metres (138 ft) long and 4.8 metres (16 ft) high portraying the atmosphere and sky of New Zealand.[31] The foyer contains a textile wall hanging Forest in the Sun by Joan Calvert and Guy Ngan which was commissioned for the building.[32] It was hung in 1977 when the Queen opened the building, removed in 2003 during refurbishments and re-hung in 2023.[30]

Public access

The New Zealand Parliament has a visitor centre located on the ground floor of the Beehive.[33] Tours were suspended in 2020 to limit the spread of COVID-19. The public gallery and select committee meetings remained open to the public.[34]

References

  1. "The Beehive, Parliament Building and the Parliamentary Library". Tiki Touring. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  2. Wilson, John. "Tuakiri o Aotearoa me te kāwanatanga – Pūnaha kāwanatanga". teara.govt.nz (in Māori). Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  3. "Whare Mīere". maoridictionary.co.nz. Te Aka Māori Dictionary. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  4. "Latest News from the Beehive". Beehive. Archived from the original on 26 April 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2019. Beehive.govt.nz is the best place to find Government initiatives, policies and Ministerial information.
  5. "The 9th Floor". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 12 April 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  6. "$20". Reserve Bank of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 24 April 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  7. "RBNZ Bank Notes Survey 2010 Consumer" (PDF). Reserve Bank of New Zealand. June 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  8. Maclean, Chris (1 August 2015). Phillips, Jock (ed.). "The Beehive". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  9. "Named already – The Beehive". Press. 2 April 1964.
  10. "Basil Spence's first pencil impression of the Beehive". NZ History. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  11. "Politicians 'Blamed' For The 'Beehive'". Press. 6 April 1964.
  12. "'Beehive' No Stunt, Says Its Designer". Evening Post. 4 April 1964.
  13. "Committee Approves Plan For "Beehive'". Press. 10 June 1965.
  14. "'Keen To End Link With Beehive'". Press. 16 June 1965.
  15. "Executive Wing (the Beehive)". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  16. "Beehive". Wellington City Heritage. 26 February 2013. Archived from the original on 2 February 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  17. "The Beehive – Executive Wing". New Zealand Parliament. 27 February 2017 [20 January 2016]. Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  18. Small, Vernon (12 September 2016). "Parliament poised for major building revamp, including plan for new office block". Stuff. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  19. "The Executive Wing of Parliament ('the Beehive')". Wellington Heritage. 12 May 2026. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  20. Harris, Catherine (11 July 2015). "Beehive declared historic place". The Press. p. A10.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  21. Rodgers, Kerry (1 July 2011). "The contentious Beehive – Building Today Magazine". Building Today. Archived from the original on 9 February 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  22. "The contentious Beehive". Building Today. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  23. Small, Vernon (11 July 2015). "Parliament precinct eyes office revamp". The Press. p. A2. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  24. Vance, Andrea (14 May 2019). "Engineers checking if Parliament's Bowen House is earthquake prone". Stuff. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  25. Cooke, Henry; Laughton, Harriet (10 October 2025). "An end of an era as Parliament's travelators decommissioned". The Post. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  26. "Anatomy of a minister's office: What happens in the Beehive?". Radio New Zealand. 23 August 2018. Archived from the original on 2 February 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  27. "Panorama: Beehive reception hall | NZ History". nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  28. "Beehive design defended". Press. 28 February 1977.
  29. "Executive Wing (the Beehive)". www.heritage.org.nz. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  30. Elliott, Sue (2 August 2023). "Original tapestry back in the foyer of the Beehive". The Post. p. 14. Retrieved 11 January 2023 – via PressReader.com.
  31. "John Drawbridge". Arts Foundation of New Zealand. 18 March 2021. Archived from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  32. "Guy Ngan and Joan Calvert wall hanging, Beehive, Parliament". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  33. "Visitor Centre". New Zealand Parliament. 11 December 2015. Archived from the original on 31 January 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  34. Small, Zane (16 March 2020). "Coronavirus: Public tours and school visits to Parliament cancelled amid COVID-19 concern". Newshub. Archived from the original on 31 January 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2020.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Beehive, Wellington at Wikimedia Commons