The Tallest Structures In New Zealand

The tallest human-made structure in New Zealand stands at 1,076 feet above the ground. Among the tallest structures in the whole of New Zealand include commercial buildings, transmitters, and power plants. Though not comparable to most skyscrapers in the world, they are among the tallest in Oceania. The Sky tower, reaching 1,076 feet, is the tallest in the southern hemisphere and is the 23^rd tallest tower in the world.

Sky Tower

The Sky Tower is not only the tallest structure in New Zealand but also the tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere and number 23 amongst the tallest towers in the world. Standing at 1,076 feet from ground level this iconic structure serves as an observation and telecommunications center. Located at the intersection of Federal and Victoria Streets in Auckland, this structure has a unique design and is part of the Sky City Casino Complex. The tower was built in 1995 and has 38 floors with an average of over 415,000 visitors per year. The tower also has several facilities including a revolving restaurant and two observation floors. Sky tower serves as a transmitter station to several Radio and TV stations in Auckland.

New Plymouth Power Station Chimney

The New Plymouth Power Station (NPPS) chimney stands at 650 feet above the ground. It was constructed in 1974 at Port Taranaki, New Plymouth. NPPS was New Zealand’s first thermal power station producing 600 MW and fueled by both natural gas and fuel oil. The NPPS was decommissioned in December 2008 - however, the structure still stands.

Vero Center

Initially called the Royal and SunAlliance Center, the Vero center is a 564 feet tall high-rise office complex in Auckland CBD (Central Business District) that was constructed in 2000. Vero Centre has several social amenities such as a health club, retail outlet, and gymnasium. The center, known for its “Hall Roof” feature, has 38 floors, 32 of which are occupied by offices. Up until the construction of Vero Center, the area had many low-rise structures, industrial warehouses, and other buildings. After its construction, more buildings were erected in the area, and human traffic increased significantly. Vero Center has been awarded severally for energy efficiency awards as it uses 10% less energy than an average property in New Zealand.

Huntly Power Station Chimneys

Constructed in 1983, the Huntly Power Station Chimneys stand at 492 feet from the ground level. Huntly Power Station is the largest thermal power station in New Zealand. The government owns a 51% stake in the station. The power station supplies 31% of New Zealand’s electricity needs and has a generating capacity of 1,453 MW. The two chimneys alone have two vents with a diameter of 7 meters. Huntly Power Station is a significant carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emitter contributing to more than half of greenhouse gas emissions by electricity plants in New Zealand. The emissions have made the station a subject of criticism by environmentalists and the government has considered closing it several times but failed because closing it is not economical to New Zealand’s power needs.

ANZ Center

Located in Auckland New Zealand, the ANZ Center skyscraper stands at 469 feet in height with 35 floors. The center was built in 1991 and was known then as the Robert Jones Tower before it was rebranded to Coopers and Lybrand then to ANZ Center. Between 1991 and 1999, ANZ Center was the tallest building in the country, but today it is the third tallest building in Auckland. The construction lasted between 1989 and 1991.

Tallest building Under Construction

The NDG Auckland center is a skyscraper in Auckland, New Zealand that is still under construction. It will have a total of 52 floors reaching a height of 686 feet above the ground. The skyscraper will serve residential purposes with a hotel. It will be the second tallest free-standing structure and the second tallest building in the country. It will also be the highest residential building in New Zealand.