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PINK WOODS / THINGS
Wellington’s former air traffic control tower was closed in 2018 and is now on the market.
Thirty-six Tirangi Rd has everything anyone could want in a property. It is located near Wellington airport, has great views of the harbor and a fascinating history.
Just a little problem. Rather than a house, the property is Wellington’s old air traffic control tower.
Flights in and out of the capital were safely controlled from the building for nearly six decades, from its opening in 1959 to its dismantling in 2018.
It is believed to be the only air traffic control tower in the world with a residential address and its own mailbox.
Flights are now controlled from a new site further down Tirangi Rd.
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Known to Airways New Zealand staff as “The Great Lady of Wellington” and to her neighbors as “Arnold”, the tower’s future is uncertain.
Airways CFO James Young said the most likely scenario was that a developer would buy it and authorize it to build new homes.
But it was nice to imagine that the old tower could be given a new life through some great creative design.
PINK WOODS / THINGS
Since 2018, flights in and out of the capital are controlled from the new air traffic control tower, further down Tirangi Rd.
It would take some work to make it habitable, including strengthening earthquakes and removing asbestos.
Most of the floor plan is narrow, with access to all four levels via a narrow staircase. Much of the building also lacks natural light and only has one bathroom.
But the views from the top are panoramic, stretching from Evans Bay to Lyall Bay, and it sits on nearly a quarter of an acre of land.
Tommy’s real estate agents Billy Bell and Jess Platt said it was the most unique property they had ever listed.
“We have had unusual looking houses, but never anything like this, so it is exciting to participate.”
The commission from the sale would be donated to the new Wellington Children’s Hospital.
