Goldie's Brae, historic building in Wadestown, Wellington, New Zealand
Goldie's Brae is a house in Wellington built in 1876 with a distinctive curved design and constructed mainly from concrete, an unusual material for that period. The building features a notable glass corridor surrounding the rooms, large windows, and an open layout designed to maximize light and views across the city and harbor.
The house was designed and built by Dr. Alexander Johnston, a doctor born in Birmingham who emigrated to New Zealand and worked as a provincial surgeon and coroner. The estate subdivision in 1904 marked a turning point when larger parcels were divided into smaller building sites, gradually transforming the surrounding neighborhood.
Goldie's Brae is known locally as the banana house because of its curved shape and stands as an example of how early Wellington residents tried to make their homes distinctive through bold architectural choices. The house shows how people wanted to express individuality in their domestic spaces while still maintaining comfort and function.
Access to the house is typically by appointment or as part of organized heritage tours, as it is a protected heritage site. Visitors can enjoy viewing the exterior architecture and exploring the surrounding gardens, which sit on a hillside in Wadestown offering views over the city.
The house was constructed primarily from concrete, an unusual choice for residential architecture in the 1870s that showcased Dr. Johnston's modern thinking and innovation. This unconventional building material combined with its distinctive curved shape made it a remarkable example of early experimental residential design in New Zealand.
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