Refit for N.Z. House in London

Press, 8 March 1989, Page 27

Refit for N.Z. House in London

NZPA London The announcement that New Zealand House in London will have a multimillion dollar refit is the latest chapter in the relatively short history of the controversial building. In the Haymarketprime central London real estate —the building which has come to symbolise New Zealand in London will have its first big refurbishment since its construction in the early 1960 s caused a diplomatic drama.

Although there is no precise figure available on the cost of the refit, the head of administration at New Zealand House, Mr Peter Munn, says it will run to ‘‘many millions of dollars” and will take three years. The heating, ventilation and cooling systems will receive a complete overhaul and there will be limited interior design work done.

The serene atmosphere

of the building which now greets visitors belies its chequered past which, at one stage, had the British and New Zealand Governments at loggerheads over its design. Cabinet papers declassified in 1987, show that the British Cabinet was opposed to the plans for the 18-level building which houses the New Zealand High Commission and numerous tenants, on the grounds that it was too tall and architecturally out of character with its surroundings. In 1956, both Governments vowed silence until a plan had been mutually agreed. However, by the end of October, the New Zealand Prime Minister, Mr Holland, was getting so irritated over the delays he nearly issued a public statement which would have been sharply critical of the unfavourable reception British authorities were giving his Government’s plans.

A memo contained in the documents reveals that it was only the internatinal Suez crisis which prevented Mr Holland from making the statement. It was the risk of “estranging the New Zealand Government if deadlock and uncertainty were to be further prolonged” which prompted the Cabinet to drop its opposition in December, 1956, giving the go ahead for New Zealand House to be built. Even after that approval was given, the Royal Arts Commission and the Crown Estate Commissioners protested that the building was out of place “on that ancient corner of London.”

Some concession may have been made to the objectors, as three storeys were taken off the building’s plans between concept and construction. This made no difference to the cost of the project which rose from an initial

£l.B million in May, 1960, to almost £3 million by completion in May, 1963. The glass tower does look sharply out of place in the midst of Regency London, but the building’s architects have countered this view by saying that all great buildings were once modern and that "the true tradition of great architecture has always been for contemporary buildings to take a step forward.” It was on these grounds that the building finally gained planning approval, but not before many architects and artists had voiced their concern.

Just when occupants of New Zealand House thought they had heard the last of the criticism, in 1987, the “Illustrated London News” featured the building as one of a number in central London which were “blots on the landscape.”

At the time of construction, New Zealand House

was considered a good investment by the Government. Its location and facilities meant it could earn some of the highest rents in London.

However, the building’s present condition is preventing the Government from using all the available space or charging the appropriate rental for a well-serviced building in the Haymarket area.

But the value of the site is undoubted. One property developer estimates the New Zealand House land area to be worth £B6 million ($240.8 million). Add to this the value of the adjacent Her Majesty’s Theatre and the Royal Opera Arcade, which the Government also owns, and the figure is nearer £lOO million ($280.1 million). A quarter of a century after construction, the controversy surrounding New Zealand House seems to have finally died down.