The vision for the new Te Rua Archives Building was bold: to create a national archive that could remain operational after a maximum credible earthquake, while powerfully expressing Aotearoa’s cultural identity.

That vision was celebrated this month at the official handover of the completed building in Wellington - an architectural and cultural milestone for Aotearoa New Zealand and a significant moment for Dexus, eight years in the making and strengthening our presence in the region.

More than just a building, the state-of-the-art archive facility, developed by Dexus in partnership with the New Zealand Government and Department of Internal Affairs, is a national treasure chest, purpose-built to safeguard the country’s most precious records, stories, and cultural artefacts for generations to come.

Resilience, culture, and innovation

Located on the former site of Defence House, demolished after the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, the new facility is now one of the most seismically resilient buildings in the Southern Hemisphere. Engineered to withstand a 1-in-1,800-year seismic event, the structure features 36 triple-pendulum base isolators, 50-metre-deep piles, and a façade capable of maintaining internal temperatures within ±2°C even during a power outage.

From the massive base isolators, the largest installed in New Zealand weighing more than 13 tonnes each, to the little shelf within a shelf to stop items falling, feats of pioneering construction are present. And under the stairwell is what’s been called God’s Pencil - a sharp point over a yellow paint pad that will show the movement by scratching as it moves.

Upstairs are several floors of shelving, amassing 775,000 kilograms – each floor colour-coded, temperature controlled and completely windowless. The shelves are designed not to overturn, buckle or bend, they then lock in place to prevent movement. Even the walls have rubber joints that allow the building to flex.

But its strength lies not only in its engineering. The building is a deeply cultural creation, shaped through a co-design process with Mana Whenua. The result is a site-specific narrative expressed through a 4,000sqm hand-sketched façade, designed by a master carver and digitally translated into buildable geometry. This integration of Māori cultural values into the physical and digital fabric of the building sets a new precedent for civic architecture in Aotearoa.

The Te Rua Archives Building is now home to New Zealand’s most significant documentary heritage-government records, manuscripts, artworks, scientific data, and more. Importantly, it is also physically connected to the National Library of New Zealand via a two-level bridge, creating a cohesive 'heritage campus’ that fosters collaboration and public engagement.

A blueprint for future infrastructure

From a delivery perspective, the project redefines what’s possible in public infrastructure. Dexus adopted an end-to-end digital strategy, including a live digital twin that enabled real-time decision-making, stakeholder engagement, and seamless transition into facilities management – a model which is now being used to manage the building’s operations; an industry first in New Zealand.

The building has also been designed to international best practice standards from one of the highest performing façades in New Zealand, featuring a bespoke unitised curtain wall, minimising the energy required to maintain repository conditions and protecting the collections even if power is lost, to a high spec double knock fire protection system, including dry sprinklers and leak detection system to ensure preservation is prioritised.

The project achieved a 5 Star Green Star design rating, the sustainable design part of a cohort setting new precedents in New Zealand whilst delivering long-term operational efficiency and cost savings.

For Dexus and its investors, the Te Rua Archives Building represents a compelling example of how long-term value can be created through purposeful investment. The project was delivered under a Public-Private Partnership model, meeting all government procurement benchmarks and demonstrating the power of collaboration between public institutions and private capital.

The building’s durability, maintainability, and seismic resilience significantly reduce lifecycle costs and insurance risks bringing enduring value whilst at the same time, building on Dexus’s position in New Zealand, where we manage a diverse portfolio across office, retail, and energy infrastructure.

As Dexus continues to grow its footprint across Australasia, the Te Rua Archives Building stands as a testament to our commitment to delivering places that matter, that protect the past, serve the present, and shape the future.