The intensification of Auckland

[By Murray Dewhurst in Auckland] 

Auckland is changing. Apartment living, whilst the norm in ‘proper’ cities, has been a novelty for us. Our rapidly increasing population demands a painful intensification of dwellings as vacant land runs out. This apartment development in Grey Lynn is a tiny example of the many currently under construction around the central city and city fringe.

In this case, two old Victorian homes were demolished a year ago to make room for a new development that will boast 19 apartments. Originally constructed from two thousand year old hand sawn Kauri timber. The new development, although you can’t currently see it behind it’s white shrink wrap (see bottom sketch), is precast tilt slap concrete — quite a different aesthetic.

I had hoped to capture the demolition in full swing last year, but arrived a day early. At that stage they were extracting windows and other saleable components before destruction. I returned the next day having just missed the action with the buildings basically reduced to a munted looking pile of old boards. I’m told it took only minutes for them to come down.

A year later, it appears to be in it’s pupal stage behind a cocoon of shrinkwrap, it will be interesting to see our city’s metamorphosis over the coming years.