The Architectural Centre Inc. is a voluntary and independent organisation of architects, artists, designers and others sharing an active interest in architecture, the arts, the built environment and Wellington City. It provides a forum for presentation, discussion and debate within the Wellington community. Membership hovers around 200, and a regular newsletter keeps members informed of upcoming events such as lectures, site visits, tours, exhibitions and architectural and/or design competitions.

This image was produced by Bill Toomath for a 1947-48 Architectural Centre summer school design studio called Te Aro Replanned. There was no School of Architecture in Wellington at the time and Centre members sought to both support students studying long-distance from Auckland, and generate awareness of the potentials of design to transform Wellington. An exhibition of work from the summer school attracted 20,000 visitors – 10% of Wellington’s then 200,000 population! Here, under the gaze of screen-idol Deborah Kerr (1921-2007), Toomath imagines a city of dense medium-rise building that leaves maximum green space. This model of urbanism passed out of fashion but is increasingly discussed as part of the solution for the problem of sustainable cities. For example, see the UN’s New Urban Agenda – Habitat III (2016).

PRINCIPLES OF THE CENTRE

According to its constitution, the Centre has the following objectives:

a. To work for the general improvement of the urban environment;
b. To promote the association of persons engaged or interested in urban planning and design;
c. To promote a true understanding of architecture and design among the community;
d. To collaborate with like-minded organisations in this and other countries;
e. To support the maintenance of an archive of books, pamphlets, periodicals and others documents relating to the above activities and to encourage the publication of such material.

Click here to view the full Constitution

Over the years the Centre has produced a number of publications. The Design Review, which ran from 1948 to 1954, was the most substantial. Editions have been digitised by Te Pūhitotuhi o Aotearoa | New Zealand Electronic Text Collection and are available to view here.

The Centre has also produced a number of manifestos. When established in 1946 members discussed what should be in a Manifesto but this was not agreed on and so nothing was published. For our 60th anniversary (2006), we decided to finish the job: debated the points and published this Manifesto FOR Architecture. Feel free to download it and print it out and stick it on the wall next to your desk at work.

…and in 2017 a complimentary manifesto addressing housing was produced.

The Centre has a CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY (August 2014) available here.

PRESENT & PAST ARCHITECTURAL CENTRE COMMITTEES