Critics say $125m project for Batten building a joke

A new design to save the Jean Batten Building by incorporating 5m of its facade in front of an ultra-modern tower block for the new BNZ headquarters has been called "a joke" and a token attempt at preserving integrity.

Multiplex has applied for resource consent for the $125 million development, which covers the CBD block bordered by Queen, Shortland and Fort Sts and Jean Batten Place.

The design was agreed on with Auckland City Council's urban design panel and the Historic Places Trust, which had fought off initial plans by the BNZ to demolish the building.

The design preserves the exterior of the 1942 Jean Batten Building, including its doors and brass-framed windows and the front lobbies on the ground floor.

But about half of the internal structure will be demolished in favour of a new modern building and tower block.

The new building would be built about 5m back from the original facade to house 17 levels of offices and four new levels underground for parking.

John Radford, sculptor of public art such as the TIP sculptures in Ponsonby's Western Park, said the design was "a joke".

"They're disembowelling Jean Batten Building and we have another example of facadism. It's like some psychopath has hacked off someone's face and pinned it to the wall. It's like the 1980s all over again.

"It's like the Queens Head pub, and the BNZ Tower on Queen St, where you walk behind the wall and there's no link to the original building. The city doesn't need this."

Mayor Dick Hubbard denied it was facadism and said the design saved the building and would ensure Jean Batten became an iconic part of the CBD.

"I agree there was a period of token facadism in the 1980s and 1990s, and [the present BNZ Tower] is an example of that. But this is not. This is a modern approach that protects heritage and keeps the sense of Jean Batten there but also makes use of the facilities and is a modern use of the CBD."

He said it was "bringing new life to an otherwise tired city block and downtown Queen St".

The design was reached in agreement with the Historic Places Trust, and yesterday the trust's northern general manager, Sherry Reynolds, stood by the design.

She said they had tried to retain more interior features, but because the present ground floor would be lowered it was impossible.

"There were compromises on all sides. We feel there was a significant retention of the heritage features, considering we started from complete demolition.

"Now we have retained the street frontages on Shortland St and Fort St, the rooftop penthouse will be reconstructed and a wide range of the heritage fabric inside the building, such as the foyers and lobby area, will be restored."

BNZ spokesman Bruce Stockwell and Multiplex project manager Phil Heaton said the designs included as much of the original features as was feasible.

Art Deco Society chairwoman Dorothy McHattie also had concerns about the loss of internal features, such as the original ceilings and stairs.

"They are a strong part of the building. The ceiling is still intact and it would be easy to reproduce the cornices and ceiling itself. The handrails, terrazzo, marble and tiling are all original and those things reflect the exterior architecture."

She said even setting the new tower back from the facade to give the illusion that it was a free-standing building would compromise the architecture of the Jean Batten Building.

The Historic Places Trust had fought proposed demolition by registering the building as a category 1 historic place last December and issuing a notice to the council to begin the process of putting a heritage order on the building.

The trust has now withdrawn the notice because Multiplex agreed to include a heritage covenant on the title, which meant there had to be agreement on any further work.

The building is expected to be finished in mid-2009.