Shopping in New Zealand

Old Bank Arcade – Fine Shopping in Wellington

Lambton Quay is the heart of fine shopping in Wellington and the Old Bank Arcade is home to a number of top stores. Situated at 233-237 Lambton Quay, the shopping complex is housed in a building that was originally the headquarters of the Bank of New Zealand. The structure dates back to 1901 and is built on reclaimed land.

In 1997 the building underwent extensive renovations and restoration and opened as the Old Bank Shopping Arcade in 1999. The brass, glass and intricate tiling are backdrop to a number of up-market stores that offer clothing, bed linen, delectable food and coffee, beauty treatments, fragrances and treats for the bath.

Apart from the shopping experience, walking though the arcade takes you back to an era where attention was paid to detail. Warm wood tones mix with the earthy tones of the tiled floor and a large ornate clock hangs from the Banking Chamber ceiling. This opens every hour to display animated scenes that relate to the history of the area.

During the restoration of the Old Bank Building, the remains of an old three-masted sailing vessel were uncovered. The boat was originally named Inconstant but was renamed Plimmers Ark when John Plimmer purchased it as a wreck. The bow of the ship is on display under a glass floor in the building while the bulk of it is on display on Wellington Wharf.

John Plimmer bought the vessel in the early 1850’s and turned it into a store by beaching it near his home and constructing a building over it. The Plimmer steps opposite the Old Bank Arcade are named after him and a cast bronze statue of him along with his dog looks across at the Old Bank Building.