Seismic strengthening of the Majestic Centre, a 30-storey office tower in Wellington, New Zealand

The Majestic Centre is an iconic landmark in the centre of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. Constructed circa 1991, it is a 30-storey modern office tower and the tallest building in the city. New Zealand sits on the Pacific 'ring of fire' and is a highly active seismic region. The Majestic Centre building was assessed in 2011 using a performance-based approach and found to have a lower seismic performance than expected. Over the past five years, at a cost of NZ$83.5M (£46M), the building has been systematically strengthened, while remaining fully tenanted. The project has spurred new assessment and strengthening techniques and overcome several major logistical challenges to reach a successful completion.