New Supreme Court verdict in offing

A courthouse inspired by the life cycle of a pohutukawa is certainly unique, but whether the new Supreme Court - designed by the same architects as Wellington's "Cake Tin" - is to everybody's taste will be discovered after its official opening today.

Prince William is due to open the new Supreme Court building in Wellington today on his first official duty representing the Queen.

It will be the first chance the public has to see the interior of the $80 million project - an unusual design shaped like a huge egg with 3D diamond-shaped wooden panels lining the walls.

Roy Wilson, director of architect firm Warren and Mahoney, which designed it, said the room was based on the pohutukawa cone.

It linked up with the attention-grabbing metalwork of the exterior, which was to give the impression of looking out through the branches of the pohutukawa and rata trees, complete with dots of red stained glass as flowers.

The metalwork was made from recycled scrap metal and although distinctive, it has its critics - one onlooker said he would not give his verdict until the scaffolding came down.

Prime Minister John Key was lukewarm in his appraisal of the exterior and said he would wait to see the inside today before making final judgement. He had heard a mixture of reports.

"I think it is an important addition to the landscape there, and it's not for me to offer a view on the architectural merits or otherwise of the pohutukawa or whatever that are part of the facade on the outside."

Attorney-general Chris Finlayson was also reserving judgement, but said his main concern was not the building the court was housed in but the quality of its judgements.

However, Justice Minister Simon Power - who was recently shown inside - was more enthusiastic, saying it was a "unique and impressive building that is worthy of the top court in the land".

In opposition, National had baulked at the $80 million price tag of building the new court and restoring the old High Court behind it.

The old court was built in 1880 but closed in 1992 after falling into disrepair.