Proudly of its place, Te Tumu – the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) is a landmark civic building, distinguished by its striking contemporary architecture and cohesive urban design. Purpose-built with flexible, light-filled spaces and advanced technology, it hosts world-class events while fostering meaningful connections across cultures, industries, and communities.

Given the constrained site and planning envelope, the building is uniquely stacked vertically. A 2850-seat plenary theatre is located above 8000-square-metres of flexible exhibition space, maximising available footprint use while maintaining clear functional separation. A generous linear multi-level atrium connects these primary spaces with three additional programme levels, providing legibility, daylight, and a strong sense of orientation that enhances the spatial experience and allows large numbers of people to move efficiently.

Flexibility, adaptability and scalability were central to the brief. The design incorporates highly configurable meeting rooms, a dedicated multi-use plenary theatre and expansive exhibition spaces that can be subdivided or combined. The main exhibition hall is fully glazed to the street, visually connecting activity inside with the city beyond. Four hundred linear metres of operable walls, significant ceiling heights and integrated servicing infrastructure support the central tenets of the brief and ensure long-term resilience.

Photography: Jono Parker