Avalon TV Centre

The Avalon Television Centre officially opened in March 1976. At the time, the Dominion Post ran a story about the opening, stating that one of the most noteworthy attractions at the Center was the mural – a “7/8 inch thick coloured plate glass depicting the performing and visual arts. The glass used was imported from France… designed by Mr. Wilson McCardle…”

Built by the New Zealand Government under the auspices of the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation, for a time Avalon was the largest studio complex in the southern hemisphere. It consisted of two main buildings: the Tower Block, which was primarily designed for administrative use, and the Studio Block, which housed state-of-the art studios, a film lab and a film production hub. In its heyday kiwi classics including Wheel of Fortune, Fair Go, and Sale of the Century were produced there along with the 24-hour Telethon fundraisers and, in the early 2000s, Dancing With The Stars.

The government sold the complex in 2011 to Avalon Holdings, who still use the studios as a TV & film production facility. Notable productions that have made use of the facility include Ghost in the Shell (2017) starring Scarlett Johansson, and the hit TV show Wellington Paranormal.

In recent years the tower block was sold and is being converted to 1- and 2-bedroom apartments, which are marketed as “A space for those who hold cinematic history close to their hearts”.

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, Aotearoa’s audiovisual archive, also has a storage facility at the site.