Sir Arthur Stephenson forms Stephenson & Meldrum in Australia, changing to Stephenson & Turner in 1937. Underwritten in the spirit of International Modernism, the practice sets out on an architectural legacy now more than a century old. Projects such as the Australian Pavilion at the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition in Wellington in 1940 foresaw the need for the establishment of local offices in Aotearoa although this was postponed until after World War II.
Stephenson & Turner begins its contribution to New Zealand's built environment in Wellington. Over the decades it delivers some of the city’s most recognisable buildings including Shell House on The Terrace (1960), Bowen Hospital (1971), Bank of New South Wales building (1972), Australian High Commission (1978), BNZ Building (1984), Te Kupenga o Rongomai: Maidstone Sports Hub (2024), Wainuiomata High School (2025), Te Ara Tupua lighting (2026)
Expanding into Dunedin for local healthcare projects including Mercy Hospital (1969)
The Auckland Office followed with significant upgrades to Auckland Hospital (1960-75), and other projects such as the Mon Desir Hotel (1966), Auckland University Medical School (1967-74), Starship Children's Hospital (1991), Auckland International Airport (1993), Auckland University Biosciences building (2010)
Post earthquake Christchurch saw the need for reconstruction of important infrastructure buildings including Dunedin High Court heritage upgrade (2018) and schools such as Te Rito Harakeke Marshland School (2016) and Ao Tawhiti (2019) among many others.
In April 2022 the Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch practices become independent entities under the S&T Group, Now consisting of separately owned local offices: Stephenson & Turner in Auckland, Wellington, and S&T rebranding to Co-Studio in Christchurch.
Stephenson & Turner New Zealand Ltd continues to oversee shared services.
Architecture, Engineering, Lighting and Building Performance come together under one roof – delivering local service with national coverage across Aotearoa and the South Pacific.
