Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 25, 2026

Defence House

Defence House is the headquarters of the New Zealand Defence Force and Ministry of Defence, located in Wellington.

Last revised
Jul 25, 2026
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Defence House
Defence House (then Bowen State Building) in 2007
Defence House (then Bowen State Building) in 2007
Map
Interactive map of the Defence House area
Former namesBowen State Building
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeGovernment Building
Architectural style
Modernist (pre-renovation)
Location34 Bowen Street, Wellington
Coordinates41°16′42″S 174°46′29″E / 41.2782°S 174.7748°E / -41.2782; 174.7748
Current tenantsNew Zealand Defence Force
Construction started
1958
Completed1961 (1961)
Inaugurated1962
Renovated2016-2019
OwnerPrecinct Properties
Technical details
Floor count12 (2 underground)
Design and construction
ArchitectGordon Wilson
DeveloperMinistry of Works
Renovating team
ArchitectWarren and Mahoney
Renovating firmLT McGuinness
Website
Official Page
References
1

Defence House (formerly the Bowen State Building) is the headquarters of the New Zealand Defence Force2 and Ministry of Defence,3 located in Wellington.

History

Designed in the 1950s by architects Ian Reynolds and Jock Beere under the supervision of Government Architect Gordon Wilson for the Ministry of Works,4 construction began in 19585 and the building was competed in 1961.4 It was named the Bowen State Building due to its location in Bowen Street and to commemorate George Bowen, a former Governor of New Zealand.6 The building had 10 storeys and a penthouse and cost £1 million.7 It was officially opened on 7 November 1961 by Prime Minister Keith Holyoake.7 A feature of the new building was its large staff cafeteria for serving lunches. The cafeteria level was also the base for 'tea ladies' who each morning and afternoon would take four-decker steel tea trolleys, each capable of serving 100 cups of tea, to workers throughout the building.8

From 1962 until the Ministry of Social Development moved out in 2016 the building housed a variety of different government agencies. Following the building's acquisition in 2012 as part of the purchase of several Bowen Campus buildings by Precinct Properties (then ANZO)9 for NZ$50,400,000, Precinct began a NZ$203,000,000 refurbishment of the building in November 2016.1011

In August 2017 it was reported that once renovated, the building would house the New Zealand Defence Force, Ministry of Defence, the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC).12 In late 2016, during the building's redevelopment, a time capsule was discovered buried in the walls of the building.13

On 2 October 2019,14 the New Zealand Defence Force and other agencies moved into the Bowen State Building, renaming it Defence House.1516

The refurbished building won the award for 'Commercial Architecture' in the 2020 New Zealand Institute of Architects' Wellington regional awards.17 The Institute of Architects stated that the renovation and extension by architects Warren and Mahoney was "a fine example of sustainability in action". The architects had adapted a Brutalist Modernist building into a modern government workplace while respecting "the muscular form of the original building".17

See also

See also

References

References

  1. "Bowen State Building". www.woodsglass.co.nz. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  2. "Defence House (HQNZDF)". New Zealand Defence Force. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  3. "Contact us". Ministry of Defence (New Zealand). Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  4. "Bowen State Building (Wellington, N.Z.)". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  5. "Site for the Bowen State Building". Wellington City Libraries. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  6. "Bowen Building is official title". Evening Post. 5 March 1962.
  7. "Symbolic of new city: £1,000,000 home officially opened". Evening Post. 7 November 1961.
  8. "Streamlined cafeteria for public servants". The Press. 6 December 1961.
  9. "ANZO agreement to buy Bowen Campus". Scoop News. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  10. "Bowen State". LT McGuinness. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  11. "Precinct secures major government leasing" (PDF). Precinct Properties. 29 July 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  12. Iles, Julie (10 April 2017). "Time capsule found in the Bowen State Building". Stuff. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  13. "Maggie Barry: Opening time capsule 'took some doing'". RNZ. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  14. "Defence Force prepares for move to new HQ". NZ Herald. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  15. Steeman, Marta (4 May 2020). "Precinct Properties commits to new $90m building on Bowen Campus after securing tenants". Stuff. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  16. Walls, Jason. "Spy-proofing key Govt building sees costs jump by $80m". NZ Herald. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  17. New Zealand Institute of Architects. "Regional Architecture Awards". NZIA Website. Retrieved 29 March 2026.