New name, new look for Reading Cinema
Monday, 15 December 2025
Reading Cinema building is getting a new look and a new name.
Resource consent has been lodged for the major upgrade of the outside of the former Reading Cinema - creating a three new looks for three different street fronts.
The area has also got a new name: The Court.
The Court will have premium cinemas with retail, hospitality and dining, which will include reclining seats, new eateries and shops. There will be 10 theatres, four with reclining chairs and a food service alongside six others.
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The upgrade of the outside of the earthquake-damaged cinema complex will be the next step in the development of the building which was shut because of earthquake risk.
The complex’s car park was damaged during the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, then closed in 2019 after an engineer’s report showed it was at high risk.
Australasian architecture and design firm Buchan has been appointed to design the building’s new public face.
Primeproperty Group chief executive Eyal Aharoni said the façade upgrade was intended to improve pedestrian connections through the site and reconnect Courtenay Place with Wakefield Street, Tākina, Te Papa and the waterfront.
A central feature of the proposal will be a new, highly visible entrance on Wakefield Street.
On Courtenay Place, the existing faux-heritage façade will be restored, with architectural lighting added to highlight depth and texture at night.
The Tory Street elevation, currently in a dilapidated state, will be repaired and simplified to create a backdrop for large-scale public artwork or murals.
On Wakefield Street, restoration works would be paired with new contrasting entry elements, including exposed structural steel reflecting the seismic strengthening taking place within the building, he said.
Aharoni said the consent application, which has gone to Wellington City Council, represented an important milestone for the project.
“We’re pleased to have lodged consent for this next phase of redevelopment,” Aharoni said. “The façade upgrade is a major step in reshaping both the look and feel of the building, and it will play a key role in how The Court reconnects with the city and its surroundings.”
Seismic strengthening work was already under way under an existing building consent. The structure is to be upgraded to 70% of New Building Standard (NBS) for an Importance Level 3 building, equivalent to 100% NBS for standard commercial buildings.
The work includes slab thickening, new shear walls, diaphragm strengthening using fibre-reinforced polymers, and additional roof bracing and movement joints.
Before its closure, Reading Cinema attracted more than 4.6 million visitors annually.
Reading Cinemas will return as the operator.
“This project is about more than refurbishment,” Aharoni said.
“It’s about opening the site back up to the city and creating a destination that feels contemporary, resilient and distinctly Wellington.”