Like many other important Auckland heritage buildings, work to strengthen the Auckland High Court (formerly Supreme Court) building was undertaken in the 1990s. This required sensitive engineering solutions.
High Court Building from Anzac Avenue 1921, Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries 1-W1753.
Construction began in 1865 and was completed in 1867 by Mathews and Bartley after the first builder went bankrupt. The red brick and stone courthouse with its distinctive castellated towers was designed by Edward Rumsey (1824-1909). He had been a student of Sir George Gilbert Scott (1811-1878), the prominent and prolific British Gothic Revival architect. Rumsey came to New Zealand specifically to oversee this project.
The portrait heads of judges and dignitaries of the time and the exterior gargoyles were carved by Ferdinand Anton Nicolaus Teutenburg (1840-1933), who had just emigrated from Prussia. Some of these original heads were displayed in the foyer.
In the late 20th century the old colonial building was incorporated in a new law court complex developed by the Department of Justice.
he task of strengthening the building and bringing it up to modern earthquake standards was particularly complex. International engineering firm Sinclair Knight Merz Limited undertook the project.
There were only limited locations for new strengthening walls, which place great demand on the floor diaphragms to transfer earthquake loads to the new walls. Consequently steel plate diaphragms were constructed and sandwiched between the original floor and the new floor overlay.
The central tower was an engineering challenge, as earlier modifications had left the tower with very little gravity support for three of its sides. A giant frame was erected within the tower extending down to foundation steel where it was anchored to the base rock.
(This text was adapted with permission from Elizabeth Aitken Rose, ‘Auckland High Court,’ in John La Roche (ed.), Evolving Auckland: The City’s Engineering Heritage, Christchurch, Wily Publications, 2011, p. 293.)
Heritage recognition
This place has been recognised by Heritage New Zealand as a Category 1 historic place (List no. 17):
High Court Building: New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero information
Location
Corner of Waterloo Quadrant and Anzac Avenue, Auckland
More information
Access
No public access, permission required.
