BRITOMART, THE NEXT STEPS
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BRITOMART, THE NEXT STEPS Sitting in a pocket of heritage buildings just a few streets back from Auckland’s Waterfront are the Australis House and Nathan Building. Currently veiled by a white plastic wrap, the two old buildings are undergoing major redevelopment in preparation for Britomart’s new luxury retailers. Built in 1903 and 1904 respectively, the Nathan Building and Australis House at 33-37 Galway Street, right on the edge of Britomart’s Takutai Square, originally served as shop fronts and storage for two local merchants. Impressive structures, an article in The New Zealand Graphic on 29 October 1904 said the Australis House (then A. J. Entrican & Co.) was
“not, to the writer’s knowledge, excelled or equaled in the colony.” Now, over 100 years on, the new works aim to celebrate that history. Designed by Peddle Thorp Architects, the $40 million refurbishment, headed by Hawkins Construction, is expected to take a further twelve months. Reinstating a number of original features that had been clumsily destroyed by previous owners, the meticulous plans go into such detail that even the rooftop finials that were lopped off Australis House after the 1931 Napier earthquake will be reestablished.
THE TENANTS Fittingly, the retail tenants moving into the buildings are premium international brands. Luxury jewellery and specialty retailer Tiffany & Co. will occupy the entire ground floor of Australis House, while neighbouring Nathan Building will play host to New Zealand’s first standalone Chanel store. In the four levels above, Duncan Cotterill, OMF and Anderson Lloyd will hold offices, and though all spaces are let, demand is still pouring in. A luxury café – think plush velvet and gold fixtures – will pay homage to the buildings’ heritage in the Nathan Building lobby and a new eatery from Nick McCaw promises locals something unique. Adding to the indulgence, the refit has also made space for a discreet underground drinking den as well as a private rooftop terrace. Taking the best of the past and merging it with the now, the Australis House and Nathan Building refurbishments are Britomart’s first foray into luxury. The most recent undertaking in Cooper and Company’s ongoing redevelopment of the precinct, they mark the eleventh and twelfth heritage buildings to be restored, but with five more yet to be revived, they will in no way be the last. Above: Architect’s render of the redevelopment, 2015. Top right: A.J. Entrican Building, c.1910.
BRITOMART, THE NEXT STEPS Sitting in a pocket of heritage buildings just a few streets back from Auckland’s Waterfront are the Australis House and Nathan Building. Currently veiled by a white plastic wrap, the two old buildings are undergoing major redevelopment in preparation for Britomart’s new luxury retailers. Built in 1903 and 1904 respectively, the Nathan Building and Australis House at 33-37 Galway Street, right on the edge of Britomart’s Takutai Square, originally served as shop fronts and storage for two local merchants. Impressive structures, an article in The New Zealand Graphic on 29 October 1904 said the Australis House (then A. J. Entrican & Co.) was
“not, to the writer’s knowledge, excelled or equaled in the colony.” Now, over 100 years on, the new works aim to celebrate that history. Designed by Peddle Thorp Architects, the $40 million refurbishment, headed by Hawkins Construction, is expected to take a further twelve months. Reinstating a number of original features that had been clumsily destroyed by previous owners, the meticulous plans go into such detail that even the rooftop finials that were lopped off Australis House after the 1931 Napier earthquake will be reestablished.
THE TENANTS Fittingly, the retail tenants moving into the buildings are premium international brands. Luxury jewellery and specialty retailer Tiffany & Co. will occupy the entire ground floor of Australis House, while neighbouring Nathan Building will play host to New Zealand’s first standalone Chanel store. In the four levels above, Duncan Cotterill, OMF and Anderson Lloyd will hold offices, and though all spaces are let, demand is still pouring in. A luxury café – think plush velvet and gold fixtures – will pay homage to the buildings’ heritage in the Nathan Building lobby and a new eatery from Nick McCaw promises locals something unique. Adding to the indulgence, the refit has also made space for a discreet underground drinking den as well as a private rooftop terrace. Taking the best of the past and merging it with the now, the Australis House and Nathan Building refurbishments are Britomart’s first foray into luxury. The most recent undertaking in Cooper and Company’s ongoing redevelopment of the precinct, they mark the eleventh and twelfth heritage buildings to be restored, but with five more yet to be revived, they will in no way be the last. Above: Architect’s render of the redevelopment, 2015. Top right: A.J. Entrican Building, c.1910.
