wellurban said:

OK, I know I've speculated about this before, but I now know from an inside source that Terry Serepisos' team has had a pre-application meeting with the council for an apartment building on Lambton Quay. This would indeed be Wellington's tallest building, but only if you include the mast that is part of the design.

I haven't seen any plans, but apparently it looks pretty good: much better than some had feared. It is indeed supposed to go just north of Cable Car Lane, and while it's hard to see where on earth you could fit in a skyscraper there, apparently there's some space tucked in behind Hallensteins House. That would make it a very narrow building, but of course that would just add to the slenderness and daring of the design.

I think I'm starting to get a bit excited about this!

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wellurban said:

On a more positive note, I've heard a few more things about the "Serepisos Tower". While it will have a mast that makes it really tall, the highest occupied floor will be at least as high as top of the Majestic Centre. My contact says it's being designed by a respected corporate architect, and he also says there is some really nice balcony detailing. Some floors will only have a single apartment, so if you can imagine a tower the height of the Majestic centre but much, much slimmer, you can see that even if it's not supertall, it should look like a real skyscraper

Other sites to watch: the small vacant space behind Stewart Dawsons Corner (Lambton & Willis, near Plimmer Steps) and the old Il Casino (corner of Tory & Jessie).

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wellurban said:

Yes, I've heard that it'll be on the tiny sliver of land behind Hallensteins House, or just north of there. If you sneak around the carparks of the buildings on the Terrace (near the Novotel), you can see a gap there that could conceivably fit a building.

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nzman said:

That would be a great spot for such a tall building as it would even out the Lambton end of the skyline a bit more with the Willis end which already has the Majestic and State Insurance buildings.I wonder if Serepisos has gotten any kind of approval from the council. Obviously he wouldn't have resource consent, but it's hard to believe he would be hiring architects etc. unless he believed there is agood chance the project would get approved. One thing we can be certain of is that there will be some selfish residents moaning about their views being stolen.

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wellurban said:

It's at the "pre-application" stage at the moment, where he & his architects are discussing it semi-formally with the council planners. I think they're fairly warm to the idea

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Moveax said:

Is there any news on the Terry Serepisos supposed tallest building in Wellington, because all I know is that he said thats what he wants to do. What I want to know is there any official information about this. Like was that just a passing remark about a long term goal or is this something serious and design is already underway?
One other question; if it's supposed to be on Lambton Quay next to the cable car (from Wellurban) how can it possibly be the tallest. The height limit there is 80 metres and even with the extra 35% height thats still only 108 metres. Unless he plans to break all the rules? If it is truly going to be the tallest will it be something like tallest as in its roof height is only one floor higher than the Majestic Centre with maybe a 10m spire on it or is should we expect something really spectacular forever altering the skyline in a brilliant way, like the Elliot in Auckland. I really hope that this building doesn't go all Christchurch on us.

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Capt P said:

Well Moveux,

I wasn't going to post this until I had confirmed the details, but since you asked!.

I spoke to an architect this week, who has seen the plans for the building. They are currently working through the issues with the council, but it shocked me what she had to say, but as yet I have to confirm this so people shouldn't get to excited. She mentioned to me about mixed use, and said a floor number that I didn't believe!!! I talking the big 60 people!!!, but this is very early info and unconfirmed so. I am working to get out as much information as possible. She said the new legislation allows for 'Iconic' buildings and thats the plan. and the height limit is only for what doesn't need consent remember. So this thing would defo need consent. Its the site on Lambton Quay in front of the Novotel. If Terry Serepisos is the local hero at the moment, so this could really happen!!

Watch this Space!

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