The State Insurance building is one of Wellington’s most distinctive and distinguished pieces of architecture marking the beginning of modernism in Wellington. It was a state of the art building for the time, not just for its high standard of architectural design, but for its structural design, however after 60 years and the sale of the building to new owners the building was re-strengthened in 1998 and a 3 story addition designed by Athfeild Architects. Wallace formed 3 sets of insitu concrete Shearwalls up the existing lift shafts for the 8 stories of existing building. Thousands of reinforcing starters were drilled and epoxied into the original concrete lift shaft walls and the floors were cut out and stitched into the new Shearwalls creating a new structure transferring load from the building extension down to the basement and upgraded foundations