Five-star workers

Five-star labels are usually associated with hotels. But Auckland’s new Royal & SunAlliance Centre, is five-star building specially created for office workers.
The $200 million, 40-storied tower is the biggest office building in the country.
From the moment you drive in the court- yard you are assailed by artworks commissioned from New Zealand’s leading artists and craftspeople.
The lobby – more akin to lobby in any of the best international hotels has special role. It’s casual meeting place where tenants take coffee breaks, or meet informally with clients. An espresso bar and bistro help sustain tenants.
It’s space that mixes indulgence with home and nostalgia – feeling created by architect Noel Lane, which includes $1 million worth of artwork.
As the biggest office building project ever undertaken in this country, it has lettable area of 37,800 square metres – almost twice the size of Wellington’s largest building, the Majestic Centre.
It’s estimated 2000 people will occupy the building by the end of the year.
“We wanted this building to be here 100 years from now – and I’m certain it will,” says Richard Didsbury, managing director of Kiwi Development Trust, who developed and own the building.
“We have used the best materials available to us, and leading-edge technology. It has the distinctive flavour of New Zealand – with fern motif on glass, its distinctive New Zealand gardens and its artwork. It has world-class facilities and is on par with any of the best buildings you might see anywhere in the world.”