IN VIEW
Architect Jaiman Atkins of Plus Architecture on The Pacifica, the 57-storey apartment complex for Auckland’s CBD.
How do you see The Pacifica fitting into the Auckland master plan? It was very easy to engage with Auckland Council (dare I say, easier than in Australia where I was based) as they were willing to have a conversation. They’d tell us whether our ideas would work. It was serendipitous, the right time, the right place, the right environment and people: all the key pieces came together. The area is being rejuvenated, transport is coming together and the client is committed to building an urban environment that’s socially sustainable and that activates the street.
What was the key design driver? The beautiful harbour views. The literal translation of Waitemata is sparkling water, so we set up a dialogue between the water and the tower, with the glass tubes that twist around the building. Looking back from the other side of the harbour, we wanted to celebrate the verticality of the city skyline. The site has the unique characteristics of the four interfaces – Gore Street, Commerce Street, where the old Taspac House sat, the laneway entry through from Commerce to Gore, and the podium floor at Achilles House on the corner.
The relationship of the building to the street is key? Yes. I moved from Melbourne, where people talk about the laneways. But Auckland is actually more laneway and pedestrian connected than Melbourne, it’s just that Melbourne’s are activated with shops and bars. Auckland is undulating, like Sydney, but there are pedestrian connections, stairs through buildings and side streets – it’s very pedestrian, just not activated yet. We re-engineered the entire design so that instead of huge garage doors to get cars in and out, it’s now a shared pedestrian laneway with a cafe, a hotel lobby and retail.
Apartment living is finally catching on here, what do you think has changed? The CBD has changed so much. It’s attractive now and you get beautiful views of the harbour. Everything is within walking distance. Until I moved here, I had spent 15 years living in apartments all around the world – I could spend weekends with my family, play golf, get to everything without spending hours in the car. It beats maintenance and mowing the lawns.