B.N.Z. moves to temporary premises

Press, 21 October 1987, Page 51

B.N.Z. moves to temporary premises

From Tuesday, October 27, the Christchurch branch of the Bank of New Zealand in Cathedral Square will be relocated in temporary premises.

Most of the bank’s trading will be done from the former Calder McKay building In Worcester Street which extends through to Gloucester Street.

The tellers will be located there, the opening and closing of accounts, administration, foreign

exchange services, customer servicing and investments, says Mr Tom Gillespie, the project executive for the Christchurch branch. The remainder of the functions, which are loans and the International department, will be locted In Gloucester Street in a new building almost opposite the end of New Regent Street. 150 staff will work in the Worcester Street building while the remaining 50 will work in the Gloucester Street building.

The Worcester Street building has had a “reasonable” sum spent on It to bring it up to a good standard and staff are. looking forward to working there, Mr Gillespie says.

He stresses that the district office will not be moving out during the alterations and will remain open for trading as usual. The reason for the move is so that B.N.Z. House, which is owned by the B.N.Z. Officers’ Provident Association, can be refurbished. So extensive is the refurbishment programme that the Christchurch branch will not move back for 12 months. The refurbishment will bring the building up to present-day standards so that it will meet the requirements of its tenants for some years to come, says Mr Rex Edmonds, the chief manager of the B.N.Z.’s group properties division in Wellington. A completely new air conditioning system and ventilating system will be installed in the building. The air conditioning ducts will be taken out of the centre of the existing office space and these will be replaced by air conditioning units on the west face.

The windows will be reglazed with green-tinted double-glazing and the protruding aluminium frames will be replaced with a neat glazing bead to simplify the fenestration and to allow the interplay of building elements to give an over-all feeling of visual harmony,

A veranda will be added and this will be similarly treated with tinted glass and will continue through two floors in height. Space is being added in the penthouse area and there will also be gains at the fourth floor level through alteration of the glass line. This will remodel the appearance of the building and soften the existing lines.

The interior will be fitted out with new ceilings, electrical services and computer services white plumbing systems will be upgraded.

The lifts will be replaced and this will considerably Increase their efficiency. Completion of the whole project Is anticipated by the end of 1988, says Mr Edmonds.