Historic city temple expected to sell for up to $1m

Real estate agent Ross Girven says the temple needs a bit of work, including quake strengthening. Photo / Jason Oxenham

A temple that was home to a group of spiritualists is for sale in Auckland.

No 1 Union St - the Temple of Higher Thought - sits at the end of the Nelson St off-ramp in the central business district and is for sale by tender through Barfoot & Thompson.

The brick building with a classical-style facade and porthole windows was built in 1927. It was designed by architect Henry G. Robinson, who also designed what is now the White House strip club in Queen St.

The temple is being sold by its current owners, the Builders of the Adytum, a group that teaches a curriculum based on occult psychology, sacred tarot and Holy Qabalah - the latter a school of thought famously followed by pop icon Madonna.

On entering the building through its arch-shaped doorway, a foyer with polished wood joinery, leadlight windows and a bold seven-pointed star laid into a linoleum floor await.

Beyond the swinging doors with their stained glass stars is a large hall with wooden floors, walls lined with large tarot cards, a high moulded ceiling and stained glass windows. At the front sits an organ with hand-painted pipes, surrounded by velvet-draped furniture.

From the vantage point of a balcony above the foyer, which is ornamented with two large menorah candelabra, a carpet laid in the shape of a cross can be seen and two columns painted black and white frame the vestibule with the slogan "Know thyself".

Barfoot agents Doug Lum and Ross Girven say the building needs a bit of work, including earthquake strengthening, but they expect it to sell for somewhere between its capital valuation of $800,000 and $1 million.

Mr Lum said the Builders of the Adytum had decided to sell because its congregation was shrinking.

He said various people had shown interest in buying the building, including one woman who wanted to turn it into a burlesque-style cabaret venue and another who wanted to use it to show black-and-white films.

An architect had also been through and talked about converting the commercially zoned building into apartments, with council consent.

Mr Lum thought it would be nice if it was still used for religious worship. "You could fit 100 people in here quite easily."

Tenders close on December 15.

Church for sale

• Built in 1927 as the Temple of Higher Thought.
• Used by the Builders of the Adytum since the 1970s.
• Comes with an organ made in New Zealand by George Croft.
• Valued at $800,000 but expected to sell for up to $1 million.