Atrium buildings are now becoming a common feature in New Zealand with this new structural form being applied to hotels, office blocks and hospitals. Being a new form of structure, there has been little study or experience of how these buildings perform in the event of fire. In an effort to investigate just how safe atrium buildings are, this report will outline problems specifically associated with atria. The fire protection and safety systems employed which can most effectively be used to protect property and save lives. By the use of case studies, typical fire control measures installed in atrium buildings are described, with a report on how these were installed in the Pan Pacific Hotel, Auckland, together with a brief description of recent incidents of atrium building fires. It should be made clear, how recent studies have led to the establishment and subsequent development of design guidelines and codes for fire safety in atrium buildings.