The NDG Auckland Centre is a proposed residential and hotel skyscraper in Auckland, New Zealand. it would be the tallest building in New Zealand and the second-tallest freestanding structure (after the Sky Tower) in Auckland, with its height originally proposed at 232Â m (761Â ft) being 55 m higher than the next competitor, the Vero Centre. It is now proposed at 209Â m (687Â ft). This would also make it the highest building of the country, as well as the highest residential building. The project was first announced by the Dae Ju Group as the Elliott Tower, however general economic trends halted further progress as of April 2009, and in mid-2012 the site was sold to a Chinese hotel developer, who confirmed in early 2014 that the development would proceed as the NDG Auckland Centre.
Project history
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The site was originally occupied by the Royal International Hotel, before it was bulldozed by Chase Corporation in 1987 for a high-rise development that never proceeded. After a succession of owners, the Korean-based Dae Ju Group purchased the site in 2003.
Elliot Tower was granted planning permission in October 2007 (with the subsequent building consents still outstanding), and would be located at the crossroads of Lower Elliot, Victoria and Albert Streets, on an empty lot which is currently being occupied by a car park and a reverse bungy ride. However, a late 2007 Environment Court appeal had to be successfully resolved before the building could go forward. SkyCity Auckland, owners of the nearby Sky Tower, alleged that the building would interfere with the use of communications equipment installed on the tower, as well as lead to future conflicts over privacy within the new apartments which could conceivably be seen into from the tower. Law firm Philips Fox DLA also joined the appeal, claiming the tower went against planning policies. By the end of June 2008, these appeals were dropped after an out-of-court settlement, clearing the way for the Elliot to proceed. Construction was originally scheduled to start in 2009, with an estimated completion date of 2013.
The project was dormant due to the 2008 financial crisis. But in December 2013, the chairman of the Auckland Business Forum Michael Barnett suggested that the construction of the tower would begin in the next two years, along with the construction of the skycity convention centre.
Characteristics
The tower will principally serve as an apartment complex targeted at the upper market, with two penthouses (445 and 590 square metres) on the top two floors and 57 levels of apartments (all facing both west and east) for a total of about 800 residents. Three levels of retail podium and six levels of basement carparking are also proposed. The design was lauded for being particularly eco-friendly, incorporating solar panels, carbon sink plantings to offset building service emissions, as well as a co-generation plant for energy efficiency. A rainwater-capture system is also proposed, and two sky gardens and a public garden on the retail podium are to be available for residents and customers. The sky gardens have also been mooted as breaking up the facade, providing for visual and wind movement benefits. The proposed Aotea underground railway station adjoins the site.
Construction
Following final discussions with Auckland's Urban Design Panel and other affected parties, the Elliott Tower was granted resource consent by Auckland City Council in October 2007. Its completion was estimated for 2011, with the equivalent of around 500 full-time workers to have been employed in its construction. The original developers were Dae Ju Group, a Korean construction firm that was also working on plans for other buildings around the Auckland CBD area. The firm estimated a $450 million value upon completion of the tower.
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