Beehive (building)
Encyclopedia
The Beehive is the common name for the Executive Wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings
, located at the corner of Molesworth Street
and Lambton Quay
, Wellington
. It is so-called because of its shape is reminiscent of that of a traditional woven form of beehive
known as a "skep".
--203.89.170.5 (talk) 01:03, 22 November 2011 (UTC)
architect
Sir Basil Spence
provided the original conceptual design of the Beehive in 1964. The detailed design of the building was by the Ministry of Works. The Beehive was built in stages between 1969 and 1981. W. M. Angus constructed the first stage - the podium, underground car park and basement for a national civil defence centre - and Gibson O.B'Connor constructed the ten floors of the remainder of the building.
Bellamy's restaurant moved into the building in the summer of 1975–76 and Queen Elizabeth II
, Queen of New Zealand, officially opened the building in 1977. The government moved into the upper floors in 1979. In the late 1990s, there was consideration to move the Beehive behind Parliament House to allow the second stage of Parliament House to be built, as envisaged in 1911. Due to public disapproval, this plan was never carried out.
The building is ten stories (72 m) high and has four floors below ground. The entrance foyer's core is decorated with marble floors, stainless steel mesh wall panels, and a translucent glass ceiling.
The Beehive's brown roof is constructed from 20 tones of hand-welted and seamed copper
. It has developed a naturally weathered appearance.
A tunnel leads from the building under Bowen Street, linking the Beehive with parliamentary offices in Bowen House.
The Beehive is extensively decorated with New Zealand art
. On the inner wall of the Banquet Hall is a large notable mural by John Drawbridge portraying the atmosphere and sky of New Zealand.
An extension has been built out the front to allow for a new security entrance. A new, bomb-proof mail delivery room has already been built at the rear of the building.
room, with the Prime Minister's
offices on the ninth floor (and part of the eighth). Other floors contain the offices of cabinet ministers.
Other facilities within the building include function rooms and a banqueting hall on the first floor of the Beehive, which is the largest function room in the parliamentary complex. The parliamentary catering facilities of Bellamy’s include a bar known as Pickwicks or 3.2 (due to its position in the building on the third floor and second corridor), Copperfield's café, and the Member's and Member's and Guests restaurants. The building also houses, in its basement, the country’s National Crisis Management Centre
. Other facilities include a theatrette and a swimming pool.
The parliament building is used by MPs who hold meetings or are discussing bills or new laws.
New Zealand Parliament Buildings
The New Zealand Parliament Buildings house the New Zealand Parliament and are on a 45,000 square metre site at the northern end of Lambton Quay, Wellington...
, located at the corner of Molesworth Street
Molesworth Street, Wellington
Molesworth Street is located at the north end of the central business district of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. Leading from the northern end of Lambton Quay, central Wellington's main street, it is a northbound one-way street linking the CBD with Tinakori Road, and through it, with...
and Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay, Wellington
Lambton Quay is the heart of the central business district of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand.Originally, as the name implies, it was the high-water line of the foreshore, and sometimes the sea would roll across the road and enter the shops on the opposite side. It was the site of the...
, Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
. It is so-called because of its shape is reminiscent of that of a traditional woven form of beehive
Beehive
A beehive is a structure in which bees live and raise their young.Beehive may also refer to:Buildings and locations:* Bee Hive, Alabama, a neighborhood in Alabama* Beehive , a wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings...
known as a "skep".
Construction
History
ScottishScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Sir Basil Spence
Basil Spence
Sir Basil Urwin Spence, OM, OBE, RA was a Scottish architect, most notably associated with Coventry Cathedral in England and the Beehive in New Zealand, but also responsible for numerous other buildings in the Modernist/Brutalist style.-Training:Spence was born in Bombay, India, the son of Urwin...
provided the original conceptual design of the Beehive in 1964. The detailed design of the building was by the Ministry of Works. The Beehive was built in stages between 1969 and 1981. W. M. Angus constructed the first stage - the podium, underground car park and basement for a national civil defence centre - and Gibson O.B'Connor constructed the ten floors of the remainder of the building.
Bellamy's restaurant moved into the building in the summer of 1975–76 and Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, Queen of New Zealand, officially opened the building in 1977. The government moved into the upper floors in 1979. In the late 1990s, there was consideration to move the Beehive behind Parliament House to allow the second stage of Parliament House to be built, as envisaged in 1911. Due to public disapproval, this plan was never carried out.
Facts and Figures
The Beehive's brown roof is constructed from 20 tones of hand-welted and seamed copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
. It has developed a naturally weathered appearance.
A tunnel leads from the building under Bowen Street, linking the Beehive with parliamentary offices in Bowen House.
The Beehive is extensively decorated with New Zealand art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
. On the inner wall of the Banquet Hall is a large notable mural by John Drawbridge portraying the atmosphere and sky of New Zealand.
An extension has been built out the front to allow for a new security entrance. A new, bomb-proof mail delivery room has already been built at the rear of the building.
Uses
The top floor is occupied by the CabinetCabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
room, with the Prime Minister's
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
offices on the ninth floor (and part of the eighth). Other floors contain the offices of cabinet ministers.
Other facilities within the building include function rooms and a banqueting hall on the first floor of the Beehive, which is the largest function room in the parliamentary complex. The parliamentary catering facilities of Bellamy’s include a bar known as Pickwicks or 3.2 (due to its position in the building on the third floor and second corridor), Copperfield's café, and the Member's and Member's and Guests restaurants. The building also houses, in its basement, the country’s National Crisis Management Centre
National Crisis Management Centre
The National Crisis Management Centre , also known as the Beehive Bunker, is the New Zealand government crisis management command centre situated under the Beehive....
. Other facilities include a theatrette and a swimming pool.
The parliament building is used by MPs who hold meetings or are discussing bills or new laws.