Accounting for an entire city block at the heart of a rapidly evolving city, Commercial Bay delivers far-reaching urban design, transport, workplace and experiential outcomes, influencing Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland far beyond its physical boundaries.

Designed by Warren and Mahoney in association with Woods Bagot and NH Architecture, Commercial Bay occupies 97,500 square metres at the foot of Auckland’s Queen Street, where the historic ‘mercantile axis’ meets the emergent ‘waterfront axis’. It is a pivotal site which connects with Auckland’s sense of self as a waterfront city with a rich history as a place of trade and connection between cultures.
The project scope comprises the City Rail Link tunnels, a new 38-storey commercial tower, a three-level retail precinct and public laneway network.

The nine-year design-led project commenced prior to site acquisition, and traversed master-planning, feasibility, urban design, architecture, base build interiors, leasing, wayfinding, design guidelines and artwork integration.

Its context exists at two scales – that of the skyline, and that of the street. Each of these contexts is vital, but the primary opportunity became the urban outcome – and the way in which the project could be truly transformational for the city experience.

Commercial Bay draws inspiration from urban regeneration projects in Melbourne, London, and Munich – but combines these influences with local narratives to deliver an outcome which is distinctively of and for Auckland.

The urban response conceives of the overall block as a series of related but individual buildings. The intention is to dissolve thresholds, break down the scale, celebrate the streets, enhance connectivity and create a seamless extension of the urban experience.

Finishes: SCE, The Tile People, Prodema Prodex, Thermosash Commercial Ltd.

Photography: Giulia Caponnetto, Incredible Images Ltd, Simon Devitt, Jono Parker, Sam Gould.