Take a walk: Through the $1b Britomart development

Construction work is under way on the first hotel for Britomart, the $1b downtown Auckland dining, retail and commercial hub.

A 10-level block on the old Better Burger and The Britomart Country Club site is being developed one block over from Customs St East.

Te Ara Tahuhu is Britomart's central spine and runs from the old Central Post Office on Queen St to Britomart Place.

Damian Wendelborn's Urbanite landscape designed garden areas amidst the low-rise dark retail and dining buildings which won't be here forever. Higher-rise more permanent structures are planned for this area.

In The Pavilions is a striking central feature: pouwhenua or land posts, carved Māori structures, each representing a member of the Cooper family.

The father, Peter Cooper, founded Britomart and is the head of the land-owning and development business.

Watch more: Take a Walk, Aotea Station

Back on Te Ara Tahuhu, volcano-shaped features above the Britomart train tunnel.

At Takatai Square, the biggest development is an office block leased to EY, Westpac and Southern Cross as well as many retailers.

At the square, the pipi squirt fountains of water to mark where Tamaki Makaurau's foreshore once was.

Watch more: Take a Walk, Halsey St, Wynyard Quarter

Rock features were carved by Ngati Whātua.

There's 18 heritage buildings at Britomart and there's Chanel and Tiffany, arguable NZ's most high-priced top-end global brand shops.

So that's Britomart which leasing principal Jeremy Priddy says will "never be finished", because it will always evolve.