An Auckland Landmark Refurbished for a New Era of Auckland Commerce

Thompson Blackie Biddles have recently moved into their new premises in the heart of Auckland’s CBD at 151 Queen Street, an address previously known to many as the iconic Fay Richwhite building.

The building, designed remotely by Italian Dino Burratini, is an Auckland landmark and at the time it was built in 1989, it sat on the Auckland cityscape as an example of leading international style.

Now known as SAP Tower, the building is being injected with a new lease of life and energy with many of the floors being redesigned and refurbished to reflect the new era of Auckland commerce.

Based in the newly refurbished Fay Richwhite boardroom, Thompson Blackie Biddles is Auckland’s first top–tier specialist commercial property law firm. Transactions in excess of $200 million were already in progress well before the firm officially opened, and already they are looking to recruit several more solicitors.

As a firm at the forefront of commercial property law firm, it was important to create a top-end workspace that reflected their daily involvement in the industry.

Outline Design worked closely with Thompson Blackie and Biddles to create a lasting workplace that visually impresses, is functional and stimulates collaboration and collective intelligence.

“We really enjoyed working with a space of this calibre, and there were a few unique aspects which made this project extremely interesting for us.

Acknowledging some of the grandiose features of the building such as the brass faced elevators and parquet flooring was really important, we didn’t want to mask these features because we felt that they are an inherent part of the building’s original design.

There is also a lot of natural light that guided the colour palette to be warm and soft. The use of these soft warm tones also created a beautiful natural flow with the building’s exterior, which is carefully detailed and very distinctive with its Dutch glass and American granite cladding that gives off a sort of golden syrup hue.” Explains Victoria Wilkes, Principal at Outline Design.

The needs of today’s work environment are very different than what they were even as recently as five years ago. When selecting a Commercial Designer, the designer’s capabilities beyond aesthetics should also be carefully considered. Clients need to be sure that the finished result is not merely a space where people go to work but a space where people interact and collaborate.

“When we were looking for our new office space we wanted something special but also something that we could create as our own, something that reflected who we are and how we want to work in the space. We’ve been working in the space for a couple of months now so it’s had a good road test. The look and feel of the space is completely on brief and has the wow factor that we were wanting. The staff love working in the space and all the practical things have been thought of that makes the space productive and engaging.” Explained Greg Thompson, Director at Thompson Blackie and Biddles.

www.outlinedesign.co.nz

Additional Info:

• Outline Design’s client portfolio includes Samsung, Colliers, Bank of Tokyo, Arrow International, St Kentigern College, Beef & Lamb NZ to name just a few.
• Outline Design is a member of the Design Institute of New Zealand (DINZ).

ENDS

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