65 Federal Street winner revealed

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From left: Cox Architecture, Warren and Mahoney, Zaha Hadid, Elenberg Fraser and Wood Bagot each designed towers for the site at 65 Federal Street.

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Melbourne-based firm Woods Bagot, in partnership with local architects Peddle Thorp, designed the winning building for the ICD competition. Image: render courtesy Woods Bagot Studio

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The Woods Bagot design features a split podium and dynamic façade. Image: render courtesy Woods Bagot Studio

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The new, multi-use high-rise will have 226 apartments, a 233-room 5-star hotel and a ground floor Market Place with everything from vendors selling local produce through to eateries and bars. Image: render courtesy Woods Bagot Studio

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Peddle Thorp director Richard Goldie highlights the strong sense of place and community created through the design by the extensive use of dramatic curved and pleated timber. Image: render courtesy Woods Bagot Studio

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Judge's said the Woods Bagot design was chosen for its activation of Federal Street as a pedestrian hub. — Judge’s said the Woods Bagot design was chosen for its activation of Federal Street as a pedestrian hub. Image: render courtesy Woods Bagot Studio

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Architect Peter Miglis says that by creating a pedestrian laneway on Federal Street, "it has the potential to become a public destination, like a town square or public plaza." — Architect Peter Miglis says that by creating a pedestrian laneway on Federal Street, “it has the potential to become a public destination, like a town square or public plaza.” Image: render courtesy Woods Bagot Studio

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While the street level will feature a market place, the top floor of the new tower will comprise a Zen Garden offering views over Auckland's waterfront. — While the street level will feature a market place, the top floor of the new tower will comprise a Zen Garden offering views over Auckland’s waterfront. Image: render courtesy Woods Bagot Studio

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The building's height comes in just under the viewing platform of the Sky Tower. — The building’s height comes in just under the viewing platform of the Sky Tower. Image: render courtesy Woods Bagot Studio

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ICD Property has announced that Australian firm Woods Bagot, in partnership with New Zealand architects Peddle Thorp, has won the competition to design a landmark tower at 65 Federal Street in Auckland.

Woods Bagot beat out four other world-leading architecture firms who also submitted designs: Warren and Mahoney, Zaha Hadid, Elenberg Fraser and Cox Architecture.

Principal and design lead for Woods Bagot, Peter Miglis said during his presentation of the design that the buidling was inspired by New Zealand’s local flora and fauna and its unique geography.

“That has been our place of inspiration. It is a strong, city-defining tower with an elegant silhouette that is enduring for the skyline of Auckland and provides a companion to the city’s iconic Sky Tower,” Miglis commented.

Peddle Thorp director Richard Goldie highlights the strong sense of place and community created through the design by the extensive use of dramatic curved and pleated timber.

He said, “Our major civic buildings, the Auckland Museum and Auckland Art Gallery, both use timber to stunning effect. It’s the material with which we privilege our most significant buildings and the curved timber designs we have created will be prominent on the lower levels of 65 Federal St for everyone to see and share.”

The jury for the competition included Graeme Scott, consultant at ASC Architects; Julie Stout, NZIA distinguished fellow; Alice Smith, acting development director at ICD; and Phil Eaton, managing director at Greenstone Group.

ICD and the jury noted that the Woods Bagot design was chosen for its activation of Federal Street as a pedestrian hub, its consideration of Auckland’s future and its creation of a building “for the people”.

Jury member Julie Stout noted, “The most elegant thing that Woods Bagot and Peddle Thorp did was address the street. They created a very active urban people space and populated it with every day activities like eating, shopping and a market type environment.

“This area of Auckland is going to see exponential growth in the next 10 years with the
Convention Centre, more hotels in SkyCity, and the City Rail Link being finished. There is going to be a flood of people into that area and Federal St will be a terrific laneway street, and this building will create an interesting community landmark.”

Matthew Khoo, deputy managing director for ICD Property, said,”Although we would love to create all five towers, and hope someday we have the opportunity to, Woods Bagot and Peddle Thorp’s design emerged as the winner because the overall scheme fully considered what’s best for Auckland’s City Centre.

“This is really how you extract great design for a city and for its people. What this is going to bring to Auckland is a real conversation, to say, ‘We can achieve better for the city, and let’s implement this more broadly to get better design outcomes for the people’.”

ICD is expected to take hold of the site next year and have projected to complete the $200 million building around 2022.

Watch the presentations of the designs from all five firms here.

Learn more at 65federalst.co.nz.