Wikipedia

TSB Arena

(Redirected fromTSB Bank Arena)

TheTSB Arena(formerly known as theQueens Wharf Events Centreand thenTSB Bank Arena[1]) is anindoor arenainWellington,hosting basketball games, roller derby, music concerts, conventions and exhibitions.

TSB Arena
Map
Former namesQueens Wharf Events Centre(1995–2006)
Address4 Queens Wharf
Wellington6011,New Zealand
LocationWellington Central
Coordinates41°17′8″S174°46′44″E/ 41.28556°S 174.77889°E/-41.28556; 174.77889
OwnerWellington City Council
OperatorVenues Wellington
Capacity5,655
Construction
Opened1995
Expanded2005
ArchitectCraig, Craig & Moller
Tenants
Wellington Saints(NBL) (1995–present)
Central Pulse(ANZ) (2008–present)
Richter City Roller Derby(WFTDA) (2009–present)
Website
https://www.venueswellington.com/venues/tsb-bank-arena-and-auditorium-shed-6/

History

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In the 1990s Lambton Harbour Management, a company controlled by Wellington City Council, was involved in developing Queens Wharf as an entertainment area. Two large buildings, Queens Wharf Retail Centre and Queens Wharf Events Centre, were officially opened bySir Peter Blakeon 18 November 1995.[2]The buildings were designed by the architect to look like wharf sheds, but were criticised for being out of scale with other waterfront buildings.[3]Lobby group Waterfront Watch described the events centre as "a monstrous eyesore resembling a Soviet ablution block".[4][2]The retail centre was an immediate failure, and the building was sold in 1998 to be converted into office space.[5]The events centre continued to operate, and in 2006 was renamed the TSB Bank Arena afterTSB Bankbought the naming rights for an eight-year period.[6]

When it was opened the events centre had capacity for between 3500 and 4000 spectators.[4][2]There was seating on the ground floor and on a mezzanine floor, and all the seats were retractable.[2]The main hall had a sprung wooden floor.[2]

In 2002, then mayorKerry Prendergastsuggested that the events centre be converted into a convention centre,[3]but in 2005 the number of seats was increased to 4,570 as part of a redevelopment and expansion plan. Further upgrades took place in 2014.[7]

Exterior view of venue fromLambton Harbour(October 2007)

In a newspaper article in April 2007, theWellington Architectural Centrerated TSB Arena as Wellington's second worst building (after New World Chaffers), saying it was inward-looking, unengaging and "awful" for its prime waterfront location. The architect responded:

Our original design was for a much lower-scale building with active edges for shops, restaurants and marine-related activities. During the development phase by the client the brief changed to include much larger and inward-looking facilities. The size and nature of the building grew dramatically, despite vigorous advocacy by us for the original design and scale. It went ahead in that form and proved to me how in the early 1990s, aggressive commercial attitudes resulted in questionable outcomes.[8]

In July 2011 Venues Wellington (trading as Positively Wellington Venues), an organisation created from a merger of the St James Theatre Charitable Trust and the Wellington Convention Centre and controlled by Wellington City Council, began managing the arena along with five other venues in the city.[9][10]

About

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The arena hostsbasketballgames and is the home arena for the Century City Saints and part-time home arena of theNew Zealand Breakerswhen they play in Wellington. It was also the home arena for theRichter City Roller Derby,which started to play here in the middle of their 2009 season.[11]It hosts expositions and conventions such as the Armageddon Pulp Expo and the DCM Book Fair. In 2005, the annualWorld of Wearable Art Awards(WOW) show moved from Nelson to Wellington, to the TSB Arena.[12][13]In 2007 the firstMāori Art Marketwas held in the arena before moving to the suburbanTe Rauparaha ArenainPorirua City.[14][15]

The arena also operates as a music venue, but does not have idealacousticsand professionalsoundtreatment; for example, the retractable stadium traps all reflections (early and late) also acting as abass trap(wanted or unwanted), thus impairing a clearsound.[16][17]Liam Gallagherof the bandOasiscomplained bitterly about the sound quality while performing at the venue in 1998.[18]As a smaller live venue, TSB Arena is still able attract overseas acts.[13]

Concerts

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See also

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References

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  1. ^Wellington Convention Centres
  2. ^abcde"City Voice, 16th November 1995".Wellington City Libraries.pp. 2, 8, 27.Retrieved4 September2024.
  3. ^abJohnson, Ann-Marie (17 June 2002). "Mayor has plans for detested events centre".Evening Post.ProQuest314816986.
  4. ^ab"City Voice, 19th October 1995".Wellington City Libraries.p. 2.Retrieved4 September2024.
  5. ^O'Neil, Andrea (17 July 2015)."Wellington's Queens Wharf failed to fire – 150 years of news".Stuff.Archivedfrom the original on 10 July 2023.Retrieved10 July2023.
  6. ^"New exposure for TSB Bank".Taranaki Daily News.11 August 2006.ProQuest315249391.
  7. ^"Positively Wellington Venues Q2 Review to 31 December 2014"(PDF).2014.
  8. ^Dickens, David (11 April 2007). "Boom has thrown up a few dogs; what makes a good building".Dominion Post.ProQuest338345029.
  9. ^Wellington Venues Limited.Positively Wellington Venues 2014/2015: SOI and business plan: Appendix 3 [report](PDF).Wellington City Council. p. 27.
  10. ^"To establish a new Council-controlled trading organisation to manage the merged operations of the St James Theatre Charitable Trust and the Wellington Convention Centre"(PDF).Wellington City Council.1 June 2010.
  11. ^"TSB Arena in Wellington, New Zealand".www.wellington-guide.ca.Retrieved15 January2021.
  12. ^Livingston, Tom (26 September 2019)."WOW gears up for another successful season in the capital".Stuff.Retrieved15 January2021.
  13. ^ab"Events at TSB Arena - Stuff Events".Stuff.Retrieved15 January2021.
  14. ^"Maori Art Market".www.maoriartmarket.com.Retrieved15 January2021.
  15. ^"Wellington's Toi Maori Art Market arrives late thanks to November earthquake".Stuff.15 March 2017.Retrieved15 January2021.
  16. ^Burgess, Dave (20 December 2014). "Railyards venue plan for concerts".Dominion Post.ProQuest1638178295.Positively Wellington Tourism chief executive David Perks said [...] "It has a lot to do with sound quality and seating arrangements. My understanding is that TSB [Arena] is the wrong shape, and elevation, and all of these things. TSB has always been something of a compromise between a concert hall, a sporting venue and a conference space."
  17. ^"Not the venue of our choice [Letter to editor]".Dominion Post.9 April 2008.ProQuest338329127.Its acoustics are appalling and many people, myself included, now refuse to go to shows there, having been disappointed in the past. It's fine as a sports arena or exhibition hall, which was its design purpose, but it's basically a tin shed and the music bounces around, creating a cacophony of indecipherable sound.
  18. ^FYFE, Anna (11 March 1998). "Oasis could learn from Beatles".Dominion.ProQuest315019029.
  19. ^Shelton, Lindsay (25 November 2011)."Ronan Keating coming to Wellington in February".Wellington Scoop.Retrieved4 March2017.
  20. ^"The Black Keys: SOLD OUT".eventfinda.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  21. ^Sweetman, Simon (8 November 2012)."Review: The Black Keys in Wellington".stuff.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  22. ^"Reece Mastin Beautiful Nightmare 2013 Tour".eventfinda.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  23. ^Sweetman, Simon (25 February 2013)."Review: Reece Mastin at TSB".stuff.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  24. ^"OneRepublic Auckland & Wellington Shows Announced".eventfinda.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  25. ^"OneRepublic".eventfinda.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  26. ^"Win a meet and greet with OneRepublic".stuff.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  27. ^"OneRepublic to rock Wellington".stuff.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  28. ^"Leonard Cohen".eventfinda.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  29. ^"Tour news: Leonard Cohen to play three NZ shows".NZ Herald.30 July 2013.Retrieved5 October2016.
  30. ^Mushroom Group(27 July 2013)."Leonard Cohen returning to Wellington in December".scoop.co.nz(Press release).Retrieved5 October2016.
  31. ^Scherer, Jule (18 December 2013)."Review: Leonard Cohen in Wellington".stuff.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  32. ^"Arctic Monkeys announce two NZ shows".stuff.co.nz.28 November 2013.Retrieved5 October2016.
  33. ^"Slash - World On Fire".eventfinda.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  34. ^"SLASH - World On Fire Tour - Hamilton, Wellington".scoop.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  35. ^Dastgheib, Shabnam (17 February 2015)."Slash warns fans not to expect any tricks".stuff.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  36. ^"Ed Sheeran".eventfinda.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  37. ^Scherer, Jule (11 April 2015)."Review: Ed Sheeran feels the love in Wellington".stuff.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  38. ^"Ricky Martin".eventfinda.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  39. ^Fagan, Josh (18 April 2015)."Ricky Martin's still got the moves".stuff.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  40. ^Morris, Colin (19 April 2015)."Review: Ricky Martin gives Wellington what it wants".stuff.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  41. ^"Twenty One Pilots Emotional Roadshow World Tour".eventfinda.co.nz.Retrieved5 October2016.
  42. ^"Twenty One Pilots announce more New Zealand shows".stuff.co.nz.10 May 2016.Retrieved5 October2016.
  43. ^"Take That".wellingtonnz.com.Retrieved12 August2017.
  44. ^"Imagine Dragons".Fontier Touring.Retrieved8 February2023.
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