Oriental Bay Band Rotunda

Oriental Bay Band Rotunda
Interactive map of the Oriental Bay Band Rotunda area
General information
StatusClosed for redevelopment
TypePavilion
Architectural styleModerne architecture
LocationWellington, 245 Oriental Parade, Oriental Bay, New Zealand
Coordinates41°17′27.5″S 174°47′41″E / 41.290972°S 174.79472°E / -41.290972; 174.79472
Designated25 November 1982
Reference no.2894

The Oriental Bay Band Rotunda (also known as the Wellington Pavilion) is a heritage-listed building located in the middle of Oriental Bay in Wellington, New Zealand. It was built in 1936 to replace an earlier wooden band rotunda and initially was a one-storey pavilion with changing rooms for swimmers and an open-air viewing platform. Another storey was added in 1985 that became a restaurant. The basement was closed in 2012 because of earthquake risk, and the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake caused damage that led to closure of the restaurant level. Redevelopment of the building was proposed on several occasions, but in December 2024, Wellington City Council announced that it would be redeveloped as the "Wellington Pavilion", including a restaurant and bar, and retaining public access to the top level.

History

The first band rotunda at Oriental Bay was a disused wooden rotunda shifted from Jervois Quay in 1919 and installed on a concrete platform at a rocky outcrop in the middle of the beach.[1] As demand for changing facilities at Oriental Bay grew, Wellington City Council agreed to construct a new building on the rotunda site. In 1936 the wooden rotunda was moved again – mounted on wheels and towed by tractor through the city to Central Park in Brooklyn.[2][3][4]

The new Moderne-style concrete building at Oriental Bay opened on 1 May 1937 as a one-storey pavilion with changing rooms for swimmers and an open-air viewing platform on top.[5][6] By the late 1970s the rotunda was not used much by bathers, so Wellington City Council called for ideas to repurpose the building. In 1982, the building was listed by Heritage New Zealand as a Category 2 Historic Place.[2] The original level was put into use for community meeting rooms and public toilets, and a new storey was built on top. This became a restaurant, opened in 1985,[7] and a new open-air roof level open to the public was created above the restaurant.[8]

The community rooms were closed in 2012 due to earthquake risk.[8] In 2016 the Kaikōura earthquake caused a crack in the rotunda's foundation, which meant that the bottom floor could no longer bear the weight of the restaurant floor above it.[8] Long exposure to the salty marine environment had also caused ‘concrete cancer’: corrosion of the metal reinforcing within the concrete structure.[8]

A contract to redevelop the building was signed in 2019 but progress was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] In July 2022 the developer of the site paused construction because he had not found a tenant for the building,[10] and in 2024 the developer and Wellington City Council terminated their agreement as no tenant had been found.[11]

The rotunda also houses the land-based electrical components for operation of the Carter Fountain which was built in the bay in 1973.[12]

Redevelopment as the Wellington Pavilion

In December 2024 the council announced that the building would be restored and redeveloped as a restaurant and bar on the top floor, with a day spa and bathhouse beneath it. Public access to the rooftop would be retained.[13] The redeveloped building would be known as the "Wellington Pavilion", and as of June 2025 was expected to reopen in 2027.[14] The chef who will be opening the new restaurant is Ben Bayly, and Wellington brewery Garage Project has been named as the beer partner.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Local and general". Dominion. 1 July 1919.
  2. ^ a b "Oriental Parade Band Rotunda (Former)". Heritage New Zealand. Archived from the original on 18 September 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Band rotunda to migrate". Dominion. 10 October 1936.
  4. ^ "Old-fashioned bandstand". Dominion. 14 October 1936.
  5. ^ "Band Rotunda". wellingtoncityheritage.org.nz. 2015. Archived from the original on 18 September 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  6. ^ "New pavilion at Oriental Bay". Evening Post. 1 May 1937 – via Papers Past.
  7. ^ Turner, Robyn (October–November 1985). "The Band Rotunda". New Zealand Home & Building: 120–125. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2025 – via NZETC.
  8. ^ a b c d "The Jewel of Oriental Bay - STQRY Guide". discover.stqry.app. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  9. ^ "Work to begin on Wellington's band rotunda nine years after it closed". RNZ. 7 February 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  10. ^ "Developer hits pause on Wellington's Band Rotunda redevelopment". The New Zealand Herald. 13 September 2023. Archived from the original on 18 September 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  11. ^ Manera, Ethan (18 September 2024). "Developer walks away from iconic Wellington site". ZB. Archived from the original on 18 September 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  12. ^ Greenland, James (5 July 2012). "A fountain of history". The Dominion Post. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  13. ^ Manera, Ethan (14 December 2024). "Iconic Wellington site to be turned into a spa and restaurant". NewstalkZB. Archived from the original on 13 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  14. ^ Morris, Deborah (16 June 2025). "A new look for the old Wellington band rotunda - and a new backer". www.thepost.co.nz. Archived from the original on 16 June 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  15. ^ "'Spectacular' plan unveiled for Wellington's dormant Oriental Bay band rotunda". Stuff. 2 September 2025. Archived from the original on 3 October 2025. Retrieved 28 December 2025.

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