Festival Launch + Ghost Forest Launch
Monday 21st September, 6pm, 113 Taranaki Street
Join us for the official launch of the 2026 Festival of Architecture and Ghost Forests – Photographer Andy Spain’s latest photographic series exploring the ecological histories hidden within New Zealand’s architectural heritage. This evening of celebration includes a short presentation discussing the motivations behind the Ghost Forests exhibition and the context it engages with, as well as teasers from the presenters of the upcoming lunchtime talks series.
Futuna Lecture Series: Catherine Hunter & Nick Sissons
Tuesday 22nd September, 6:30pm – 8:30pm, Old St Paul’s
This year documentary maker Catherine Hunter and Sydney architect Nick Sissons share their experiences working with Glenn Murcutt, Australia’s eminent architect and Pritzker Prize Winner in 2002.
Sip ‘n’ Sketch
Wednesday 23rd September, 7:30am – 8:30am, Sketchbook Coffee
Come along for a morning café sketch, where good coffee meets creativity. Get inspired with Anne Kelly (AKA Architecture) and Jan Smitheram (VUW) of places and people that uplift you and enter the competition!
Forest of Decisions
Wednesday 23rd September, 1pm, 113 Taranaki Street
Join NZIA Gold Medal laureates Hugh Tennent & Ewan Brown for a lunchtime talk exploring how different approaches to material selection have come together to form the firm’s award winning work.
Glenn Murcutt on Screen
Wednesday 23rd September, 6:30pm – 7:30pm, The Embassy Theatre
Join the Futuna Chapel Trust for a rare screening of two documentaries written and directed by Catherine Hunter about internationally acclaimed Australian architect Glenn Murcutt.
A Moment Between Lines
Thursday 24th September, 7:45am – 8:45am, Awhi Yoga + Wellbeing
Step away from the drawings, deadlines and details. Take a breath, move, reset and enjoy a moment of calm with morning yoga and herbal tea before and after, created as a space to pause, breathe and reset during the festival.
Rotunda Building Tour
Thursday 24th September, 4pm, Band Rotunda, Oriental Parade
Tour the icon of Oriental Parade. For years this building sat empty gazing out to the Wellington skyline. Now on the cusp of living once more, come have a sneak peak!
Cities, People, Architecture Movie Series: ‘H7 Digital’ Documentary + Panel Discussion
Thursday 24th September, 5:30pm, VUW School of Architecture
A re-imagination of an industrial site, breathing new life and purpose into a vast, two level space spanning over 5000m² across two adjoining buildings (adaptive reuse), followed by a panel discussion framing the movie in the local context.
Open Studios
Friday 25th September, 3pm – 5:30pm, Central Wellington – refer to map
Ever wanted to go behind the scenes of an architecture studio to find out what architects do? Take a self-guided tour around the architectural studios of Wellington. See the spaces where creativity takes place and chat to the architects that reside there.
Please leave Open Studios promptly by 5:30pm, and ask your host about photography – enjoy!
Jasmax
Level 3, 126 Lambton Quay
Design Group Stapleton Elliott
Level 1, 318 Lambton Quay
WSP
Level 9, Majestic Centre
Architecture + / Micah Architecture
Ground Floor, NZX Building, 11 Cable Street
Studio Pacific
Level 2, 74 Cuba Street
Tennent Brown
Level 6, 7 Dixon Street
Melling Architects
26 Egmont Street
Stephenson & Turner
Level 2, 158 Victoria Street
Voxell
Level 1, 3 Swan Lane
McKenzie Higham Architects
171 Vivian Street
Archaus
62 Cambridge Terrace
Checkmate
Friday 25th September, 5:30pm – 7:30pm, Jasmax, Level 3, 126 Lambton Quay
Emerge x SANNZ social mixer, bringing architecture students and industry professionals together, connecting mentors and students. Enjoy a social unwind after the Open Studios tour at the Jasmax studio. Every great career starts with the right move in one night. Register online now.
Diamonds Are Forever: A Walking Tour
Saturday 26th September, 1pm, starts St Peters Church, ends Vivian Street
Join Walk Tours NZ for this special 90-minute walking tour as we pay tribute to the late Georgina (1957–2023) by exploring the sites, streets and public spaces of central Wellington that shaped her remarkable journey.
Ghosts of the City: A Walking Tour
Sunday 27th September, 1pm, starts Old Government Buildings, 55 Lambton Quay, ends 113 Taranaki Street
Join Photographer Andy Spain and Architect Tina Williams for a walking tour through the streets of Wellington exploring the inspirations and histories of the buildings which feature in the Ghost Forests exhibition.
City Talks: ‘Living With’ Exhibition Launch
Monday 28th September, 6pm, VUW School of Architecture
Join us for the official Wellington launch of the international exhibition ‘Living With’ accompanied by a City Talks presentation by Architect Brendan MacFarlane of Paris based architectural practice Jacob+MacFarlane. Brendan will discuss the firm’s most recent work and the evolution of the ‘Living With’ exhibition.
Melting Moments: Energy, Policy & Building
Tuesday 29th September, 6pm, VUW School of Architecture
Energy is often discussed in terms of technology and efficiency, but the deeper questions are about how much is enough, how our buildings support wellbeing, and how communities can thrive within environmental limits. Bringing together voices from across the energy, policy and building sectors, this facilitated discussion will examine the challenges, opportunities and emerging signals shaping Aotearoa’s energy future.
Sip ‘n’ Sketch
Wednesday 30th September, 7:30am – 8:30am, Sketchbook Coffee
Come along for a second café sketch session, where good coffee meets creativity. Be inspired with Jan Smitheram (VUW) of places and people that uplift you and enter the competition!
The Architecture Centre’s Big Quiz
Wednesday 30th September, 6:30pm (quiz starts 7pm), Garage Project, Leeds Street
The Architectural Centre weekly online quiz is going live for 1 night only! Join us and fellow competitors for a journey, via trivia, through architectural theory and built form. Curious prizes!
Living With Natural Hazards
Thursday 1st October, 1pm, VUW School of Architecture
Join the Natural Hazards Commission for an informative lunchtime talk on the Action Plans that guide our resilient building programmes. Including an overview of current and future projects, and discuss their alignment with industry needs, and where there may be opportunities to collaborate with architects.
Cities, People, Architecture Movie Series: Green Paris Documentary + Kōrero
Thursday 1st October, 5:30pm, VUW School of Architecture
A community driven re-wilding movement in which the residents, architects and socialists transform abandoned city infrastructure. Followed by conversation and Q+A with local experts, framing the discussions of the film within the local context.
Living With Water
Friday 2nd October, 1pm, VUW School of Architecture
Stu Farrant of Morphum Environmental unpacks how our past relationship with freshwater in an urban context has resulted in so many unintended consequences, and how this awareness should inform a future where we can truly ‘live with’ water again.
Festival Finale – Music & the City
Saturday 3rd October, 1pm – 1am, Cuba Street Tavern
A collaboration between &theCity, RadioActive and Cuba St Tavern exploring the spaces where music happens, what makes them special, and how architects, landscape architects and experiential designers can help shape the future of music and the city.
1pm – 4pm – Late Late Breakfast Show live from CST
4pm – 4:30pm – Music & The City panel talk
4:30pm – 5pm – Music & The City audience Q&A
5pm – RadioActive DJ sets
1am – Event closes
A Change Is Coming: A Walking Tour
Sunday 4th October, 1pm, starts Jack Ilott Green, ends Parliament Grounds
2026 marks the 40th anniversary of the passing, in 1986, of the Homosexual Law Reform Act. Join Walk Tours NZ for this special 90-minute walking tour celebrating the people and movements that fought for a brighter future for rainbow communities while exploring the buildings, streets and public spaces where that history unfolded.
Te Matapihi ‘Lost Architecture’
Monday 21st September – Sunday 4th October, Level 2, Local History’s Collection, Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nūi
Explore Pōneke’s architectural past, present and possible futures through a special display of books and archival material at Te Matapihi. Featuring Wellington City Archives’ photographs and stories of lost and almost-lost architecture and landscapes, alongside buildings that were proposed but never realised – the city’s architectural ‘what ifs’.
‘Living With’ Exhibition
Monday 28th September – Sunday 18th October, VUW School of Architecture
The exhibition continues! From the Venice Biennale, on its journey around the world, Jacob+MacFarlane’s ‘Living With’ exhibition comes to Wellington on a range of architectural and urban projects which press the most important questions of our age: how do we live with the many facets of the Climate Crisis?
Living With Our Awa
Friday 9th October, 1pm, VUW School of Architecture
Join the Kumutoto Restoration team for a lunchtime discussion on how this grassroots project is building a community committed to a better future for this urban taonga.
Living With Manu
Tuesday 13th October, 1pm, VUW School of Architecture
Capital Kiwi was one of the Capital’s most audacious plans; now it has captured the hearts and minds of the world with its phenomenal success. How did this seemingly impossible plan get started, and what does the future look like for re-wilding the capital?
Cities, People, Architecture Movie Series: The Legacy of the Olympics Documentary + Kōrero
Thursday 15th October, 5:30pm, VUW School of Architecture
A film examining how a global event reshapes territories and lives, looking at the economic, social, environmental, and cultural effects. Followed by conversation and Q+A with local experts, framing the discussions of the film within the local context.
