Wellington’s Begonia House is threatened with demolition and, as an architect, I find this a great shame. Tearing down this 1914 conservatory would be a huge loss to the cultural landscape of Aotearoa and is unnecessary if resources are used wisely and community funding is encouraged for the refurbishment.

Buildings aren’t just structures — they’re repositories of our collective memory. The Begonia House sits at that rare intersection where architecture, history and living collections converge. Such character against the homogenisation of our cities is important to protect.

Built in 1914 and opened to the public in 1960, this iconic conservatory has long been a sanctuary for exotic plants and a cherished destination for locals and visitors alike. However, its future now hangs in the balance as Wellington City Council debates whether to renovate or demolish the structure as part of its Long-term Plan amendment process.

The Council’s approach is painfully familiar. First comes the deferred maintenance, then the ballooning remediation costs, and, finally, the inevitable “it’s just too expensive to save” conclusion. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy we’ve seen play out across too many heritage buildings in New Zealand.

We must not undervalue the embedded energy in existing structures. The most sustainable building is the one already built — especially one that’s stood for over a century.

The Begonia House is more than just a building — it’s a living piece of Wellington’s history. Named for Rosinna Norwood, the wife of prominent local benefactor Charles Norwood, the conservatory and its adjacent rose garden (opened in 1950) were made possible by the couple’s generous donations. Both were passionate supporters of the city’s parks and gardens, and their legacy continues to thrive in this verdant corner of the capital.

Over the years, the Begonia House has evolved to meet the needs of its visitors. A café was added in 1981, followed by a tranquil lily pond in 1989. The building itself underwent seismic upgrades in 2013, ensuring its safety and longevity. Today, the Botanic Garden welcomes an estimated 1.2 million visitors annually, with around 238,000 people specifically drawn to the Lady Norwood Rose Garden, café and Begonia House.

The Begonia House is a delightful, light-filled pavilion purpose-built to house extraordinary plants. Its proportions, materiality and relationship to the surrounding gardens create exactly the kind of human-scaled environment that modern architecture sometimes fails to deliver.

Mazz Scannell, Chair of the Friends of Wellington Botanic Gardens, says that refurbishment can be done more economically than the Council’s “very conservative” estimates suggest. As someone who has adapted numerous heritage buildings, I can attest that architects who understand and respect existing structures can find solutions that both preserve character and meet contemporary needs.

 Scannell says, “I support sensible solutions that fit in fiscal envelopes — the Council estimations are very conservative but refurbishment can be done more economically, and more efficiently, keeping the heritage façade.”

Let’s talk about those tropical plants. These aren’t just pretty decorations — they’re living archives, some exceedingly rare. The specialised environment of the Begonia House supports species found in very few places worldwide. Dismantle the building, and you potentially lose the collections too.

Wellington takes pride in its garden city heritage, yet the Council seems willing to casually discard a cornerstone of that identity. The 10,000+ petition signatures demonstrate that Wellingtonians understand what the Council appears not to — that our built heritage matters, that it contributes to our sense of place and belonging.

Heritage buildings aren’t luxuries; they’re necessities for maintaining the texture and identity of our cities. When we lose them, we lose part of ourselves. The Begonia House may not be as flashy as some of our other landmarks but its modest, elegant presence in the Botanic Garden has provided generations of Wellingtonians with shelter, delight and connection to nature.

Cities that cherish their heritage buildings are invariably more interesting, more liveable and more economically vibrant than those that don’t. The Begonia House’s value isn’t just in its structure but in the stories it contains — of the Norwoods’ philanthropy, of Wellington’s horticultural passion, of public spaces designed for community enjoyment.

I hope the Council will embrace the challenge of adaptation rather than the false economy of demolition. Find the architects and engineers who see possibility rather than problems.

The public submission period opening in March is our chance to demand better. A city that cannot maintain and adapt its existing treasures has no business building new ones. The Begonia House has already lasted 110 years — with proper care and imagination, it could easily serve Wellington for another century.

Our architectural heritage deserves defenders. The Begonia House deserves to stand.

Public submissions to Council will open in March.