Michael Fowler Centre
Concert hall and convention centre in Wellington
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Michael Fowler Centre is a concert hall and convention centre in Wellington, New Zealand. It was constructed on reclaimed land next to Civic Square, and is the pre-eminent concert site in central Wellington.
| Michael Fowler Centre | |
|---|---|
The Michael Fowler Centre viewed from Whairepo Lagoon | |
 Interactive map of the Michael Fowler Centre area | |
| General information | |
| Type | Concert hall and convention centre |
| Location | Wellington, 111 Wakefield Street, Te Aro, Wellington |
| Coordinates | 41.289421°S 174.778053°E |
| Construction started | 1980 |
| Completed | 1983 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Warren and Mahoney |
| Other designers | Acoustic assistance from A. Harold Marshall |
| Other information | |
| Seating capacity | Seats up to 2,209 for concerts and has a classroom capacity for 1,035 persons |
| Website | |
| https://www.wellingtonnz.com/venues-wellington/our-venues/michael-fowler-centre | |
Commissioned in 1975, building began in 1980; the centre officially opened on 16 September 1983. It was designed by Miles Warren and Maurice Mahoney of Warren and Mahoney,[1] with acoustic assistance from Professor A. Harold Marshall,[2] formerly the Head of Auckland University's Acoustics Research Centre. It is named after the primary promoter of its construction, Sir Michael Fowler, at the time the mayor of Wellington.[3] The auditorium seats 2210 people during a concert, and 1035 during a classroom type event.
Events and performances
The centre is used by international and local acts, conferences, and summits; it is also the home of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra Wellington.
The venue is now part of the Venues Wellington group of venues, managed by the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency.
Exterior lighting
The exterior of the Michael Fowler Centre contains a lighting system which allows light to be reflected off the concrete panels of the building. These lights have been used to mark significant occasions such as local LGBT Pride events, 125 years of women's suffrage in New Zealand,[4] the birth of the then-Prince George of Cambridge in 2013,[5] or in memory of the victims of the November 2015 Paris attacks.[6]
Michael Fowler Centre lit in the colours of the trans flag on 21 March 2018 in remembrance of Zena Campbell
Michael Fowler Centre lit in the colours of the rainbow flag in March 2019
