Monstrosity or progress?

[sidinz]

Work is about to begin on a soaring 178m, 57-level apartment tower that will "transform" Auckland's skyline, according to its Chinese developers.
A new image released exclusively to the Herald shows how the $300 million project, to be built on Commerce St near the waterfront, will dwarf other blocks such as Shortland St's Vero building and the Metropolis apartments.
The building, to be called The Pacifica, will have 295 apartment units and 35 hotel suites.



http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/n...ectid=11815821

if you look at that photo, you've got (mostly) lower buildings at the front, and getting progressively taller as they move back from the waterfront. Except for that huge new thing they're plonking there.

[Nick G]

I wonder what that has to do with the nature of the building sites.

[eri]

are you suggesting

it's not wise to build that big

on reclaimed land and old beaches?

lessons learned from chch

yet to be learned again in wellyworld

.......

you get a glimpse

of how little they know about complex events

from the debacle that will be the pulling down of the supposed new + super-tough

wellington defence building

because of a quake in the south island

...........

they need to get off their asses too and move the te papa warehouse

to ak

or somewhere else not scheduled to be flattened + flooded

in the next 100 years

[donna]

I like it. It's a nice design and it's good for Auckland - more housing the better.

Agree re. Te Papa insofar as there needs to be a contingency location that houses the overflow. The museum is needed in Wellington - it keeps the older cruise boat holiday makers happy and without it what would Wellington offer them?

cheers,

Donna

[Aston]

I like it. It's a nice design and it's good for Auckland - more housing the better.

Agree re. Te Papa insofar as there needs to be a contingency location that houses the overflow. The museum is needed in Wellington - it keeps the older cruise boat holiday makers happy and without it what would Wellington offer them?

cheers,

Donna

^^ Ditto.

And there's probably still a bit more space in the Auckland CBD for at least one more of these tall buildings. If they're juduciously positioned I wouldn't have a problem with them, regardless of proximity to the waterfront.

Also agree with the Te Papa thing. Don't even think about taking it out of Wellington. I recall, when it was being built, 'they' believed the liquefaction thing was well factored in, I daresay though that remains to be proven.

[Beano]

^^ Ditto.

And there's probably still a bit more space in the Auckland CBD for at least one more of these tall buildings. If they're juduciously positioned I wouldn't have a problem with them, regardless of proximity to the waterfront.

Also agree with the Te Papa thing. Don't even think about taking it out of Wellington. I recall, when it was being built, 'they' believed the liquefaction thing was well factored in, I daresay though that remains to be proven.

The Te Papa location i believe is the best location in Wellington ..unbelievable view and handy to the city

[Wayne]

Also agree with the Te Papa thing. Don't even think about taking it out of Wellington. I recall, when it was being built, 'they' believed the liquefaction thing was well factored in, I daresay though that remains to be proven.

Built on base isolators also.
I haven't heard of any damage after the current spate of earthquakes - has there been any to Te Papa?

[eri]

before we veer too far from the original mention

the point was that te papa needed a better location for their WAREHOUSE

imho somewhere safer than upper hutt

"Te Papa needs more storage space,".

The move to Upper Hutt was a temporary solution for the museum.

"It's a three-year lease with an option to extend for three more years,"

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/property/87460495/te-papa-making-the-upper-hutt-move

there was a proposal to move some of the collection to south auckland

but the cost of a big move was prohibitive

Te Papa's controversial plans for a South Auckland exhibition and storage space are on hold, after its $40 million budget bid was rejected.

The cost has blown out by a third and the project director has now left the museum.

The Te Papa Manukau project was announced in 2013 by then culture and heritage minister Chris Finlayson.

It proposed a new shared exhibition, education and storage facility in South Auckland's Hayman Park, which would house up to half of Te Papa's treasures.

The project was to be a collaboration with Auckland Art Gallery and Auckland War Memorial Museum, with Te Papa shouldering the building and running costs.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/72833407/te-papas-planned-auckland-offshoot-is-put-on-ice

[Viking]

Getting kinda stupid in the land of earthquakes and volcanoes.

[eri]

Pacifica seems all go

About 20 to 30 per cent of Pacifica pre-sales had been made to foreigners, he said - mainly Chinese, after the project was marketed in Shanghai.

By August 18 - the most recent sales figures Hengyi will provide - Lloyd said deposits had been paid on more than half the units, worth a combined $200m - even though nothing exists yet.

But will the huge Pacifica project flood the market for apartments?

Pete Evans, Colliers' residential project marketing national director, said next year would see the highest number of Auckland apartments completed in more than a decade - but not enough to meet demand, and only a year's supply.

"In major cities with population growth, we would expect supply to be anywhere between 12 to 24 months.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/n...ectid=11927342

[Davo36]

Which is good I suppose.

We certainly need more apartments.

Pretty ballsy building at this stage of the property cycle though!

And over $5m for a penthouse... wow.