Pride of place on the skyline
These Wynyard Quarter penthouses are situated on the skyline, discovers Robyn Welsh
There will be four penthouses sitting on top of the 10- level apartment building that is part of the Wynyard Central development taking shape in downtown Auckland. Architect Patrick Clifford of Architectus planned it that way, giving each penthouse a proud profile on the skyline, rather than tucking them in under the roofline, as so often happens in one- building apartment developments.
They’re the distinctive feature on this 80- unit apartment building, which is one of three residential buildings in the 113- unit Wynyard Central development. Importantly, there are key design elements that relate both the penthouse and the building’s exterior to the neighbouring 25- unit pavilion apartments and eight townhouses that complete this bespoke project by Willis Bond & Co, the sole residential developer in the Wynyard Quarter.
With views towards the Waitakere Ranges in the west and urban Auckland to the east, penthouse residents have a pleasing reminder that they’re part of a bigger picture including a new park and green laneways.
It is here in the soffits around the courtyard/ balcony that are specified in the same cedar cladding as that of the timber pavilion apartments, and in the penthouse’s interior timber floors.
It’s also in the red brick that wraps around the base of this apartment block that will be built of pre- cast concrete panels. It ties this soaring building visually with the red brick of the townhouses by the neighbouring laneway and adds a sense of historical connection to this wider Wynyard Quarter neighbourhood, where many long- standing buildings are being refurbished.
Creating three distinct buildings and tying them together with complementary materials was also part of the acknowledgement of the scale of the
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wider area, says Patrick.
“This is so much more in scale with what exists already than it would have been with one continuous building,” he says.
“These buildings will sit in relation to the park and the public laneways will allow people to move between them.”
This penthouse, the last penthouse for sale in the Wynyard Quarter area, is accessed via one such lane off Pakenham St West. Inside, the layout has been put together with reference to what the development company refers to as “a modern welldesigned house”.
Differing ceiling heights enhance the definition of specific areas within the house.
The main living area stud height is 3.2m and the dining area, master and secondary bedrooms all 2.9m high. The kitchen, bathrooms and transition areas including the hallway, entry and lobbies are the standard 2.4m stud height.
Outdoors, on what Patrick refers to as the “courtyard”, he has specified a 2.9m height that is slightly lower than the adjacent living area. It adds intimacy and privacy already enhanced by the courtyard’s enclosure on three sides and louvres installed above.
The proportions of the courtyards off these apartments were drawn up with a wider visual in mind, too. “They mimic the scale of the smaller buildings,” says Patrick.
The detail within the penthouse includes porcelain floor and wall tiles in the bathrooms, wall- hung vanities and mirror- faced, wall- mounted cupboards. There is wool carpet and an overlay single- plank timber flooring system specified in the living and dining areas. The kitchen, with its builtin laundry behind closed doors, has engineered stone benches and a splashback.
Features include the option to buy more carparks and bike storage. Construction on Wynyard Central began 12 months ago with completion due about March 2018.