By the early 1960s the building was found to be inadequate and plans were drawn up by local architects Johnston & Denniston for the modernist glass curtain building. Construction began in October 1962, with the bank officially opened in July 1964. Interestingly, it was the first building in Tauranga to have air-conditioning.
The building was a two-storey structure of reinforced concrete floor and foundations, plastered concrete exterior and has undergone a number of extensions and alterations over the last four decades. Elements of the 1964 building such as the white exterior tiles, columns and the bank vault remain in place today.
The BNZ sold the building to the TAGT in 1999 for $1.7m with funds from the [former] Tauranga District Council and the Venetta Miles Estate.
Further capital funding was made available from the Ray (Urania) Macmillan Estate and the Joy Owens Trust. The TAGT also raised capital from individuals, groups and trusts in the Tauranga and Bay of Plenty community.
In May 2003, Mitchell and Stout Architects Ltd were engaged to undertake the design for the refurbishment of the BNZ into the Tauranga Art Gallery.
