Cable Car Terminal Refurbishment | Wellington

The curving shoreline of Lambton Quay is the defining Wellington street and the access up the hill to Kelburn via the Cable Car from the water’s edge (along with Plimmer’s Lane) is on one of the most important uphill access points from the harbour rim. The cable car experience should contrast the change from the relatively busy city (old harbour edge) to the more relaxed botanic garden with its panoramic outlook.

The design aimed to emphasize the track and the tunnel and utilise the existing orthogonal geometry to organize the terminal layout. The repositioned ticket box can be viewed from Lambton Quay, re-establishing the importance of Cable Car Lane. The new ceiling resolves the varied overhead structures and reacts to the tunnel opening. The design intent was to use reflective surfaces to scatter the light and a simple retaining wall idea to leave an uncluttered waiting space with clear flow paths for getting on and off the cable car.