Wellington Beehive

Wellington Beehive

The official name of the Wellington Beehive in New Zealand is the New Zealand Parliament Buildings. It is located at the corner of Molesworth Street and Lambton Quay in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. It is called this mainly because its appearance closely resembles that of a traditional beehive. The Wellington Beehive was designed by British architect Sir Basil Spence. It is said that the initial sketch was drawn on a napkin during a lunch meeting, and the preliminary design was completed in 1965.

The Beehive stands 72 meters tall and has fourteen floors in total — ten above ground and four below. The entrance hall has a marble floor, wall panels made of stainless steel mesh, and a translucent glass ceiling. The Virtualtourist website ranked the Wellington Beehive among the world’s top ten ugliest buildings, describing it as “the executive wing of the New Zealand Parliament Building looks like a slide projector dropped into a wedding cake, which is itself precariously balanced on a water wheel.” Situated next to the Parliament Buildings, which feature Edwardian neoclassical architecture, the stark contrast makes the Beehive almost embarrassingly conspicuous.

Wellington's Beehive

Reason to visit: New Zealand’s most controversial (and arguably ugliest) building

Continent: Oceania

Country/Region: New Zealand

Province/State: Wellington Region

City: Wellington