Join us on Wednesday 20 August, for an exclusive NAWIC members-only site tour of two very different but geographically close projects in Te Aro. The National War Memorial and FPC Martin Square are both undergoing major refurbishment - join us for a look behind the scenes!

National War Memorial: Refurbishing a Wellington Icon

Step behind the scaffolding and witness the National War Memorial Project – a complex seismic strengthening project where heritage sensitivity is of utmost importance. With construction works being carried out by Maycroft Construction, join us for the rare opportunity to explore a significant piece of the capital’s cultural fabric.

Known to many as the backdrop of ANZAC Day commemorations, this national memorial is undergoing a meticulous refurbishment to ensure its legacy endures for generations to come.

What’s Happening On Site:

Seismic strengthening of the tower and bell frame
Stone remediation to preserve its historic façade
Asphalt roofing works

The real challenge? Balancing modern engineering with heritage preservation. Every upgrade is being carried out with deep respect for the building’s historical significance.

Then, just around the corner, we will move on to another refurbishment project – at a much different scale and for a very different purpose!

FPC Martin Square: from Workshop to Office Space

Leading industrial design-and-build specialists First Principles Constructors are celebrating seven years of innovation with a bold move - into a brand-new headquarters in central Wellington. Take a look inside the transformation of a former engineering workshop into the new HQ for FPC. With exposed services, raw materials, and an industrial aesthetic, this compact yet clever refurbishment shows how much can be achieved in a small urban footprint. Construction is well underway by Aoraki Construction, with completion coming up in September.

What’s Happening On Site:

• Structural steel installation, new roofing, cladding, a new concrete mezzanine slab

• Interior fit-out works

• Full building services upgrades

The Details:

🕒 DATE and TIME: Wednesday, 20th August, meet at 2.45pm for a 3.00pm start at the National War Memorial

📍 LOCATION: Meet at the National War Memorial (19 Buckle Street) to explore this site first. We will then walk over to 21 Martin Square as a group, for the next site visit.

🎟️ COST: Free to NAWIC members, with a maximum of 18 people on the tour, so please book your space consciously. Get in quick! You can join NAWIC here.

👷‍♀️PPE: Hard hat, hi-vis, steel-capped boots. (Spare hard-hats/hi-vis are available if required, please make sure you advise us of what you need on your RSVP.)

🎉 After the site visits, unwind with drinks and nibbles sponsored by First Principles Constructors at a nearby venue (TBC) – a chance to connect, reflect, and chat all things design and construction.

🧡 Huge thanks to Studio of Pacific Architecture, Aoraki Construction, Maycroft Construction, and First Principles Constructors for teaming up to make this event possible.

Please note: NAWIC is a voluntary organisation, committed to its obligations as a PCBU under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. Amongst other things, this requires NAWIC to take all practicable steps to eliminate, isolate or minimize hazards that our event attendees are exposed to. Health and safety is a shared responsibility.