Lighter Quay
1 The Lighter Quay Development is a multi-unit residential and hotel project located in the Viaduct Basin of downtown Auckland. The site is entirely on land reclaimed in the 1940’s and 1950’s, along with the rest of the Viaduct Harbour and Western Reclamation. Formerly used as a log storage facility, the site is still colloquially known as ‘Log Farm’.
2 The Lighter Quay project was a master-planned development, consisting of buildings up to six storeys high, constructed in four stages around a purpose-built lock and marina. The development encompasses approximately 240 apartments and a total built area of over 200,000 m2, with contributions from four different architectural practices, and three different contractors. There are seven separate buildings, all sitting on a common podium with a single level basement carpark. The carpark is located up to three metres below high tide level, presenting a number of ‘below the ground’ challenges from a design perspective.
3 One of the unique aspects of this project is the incorporation of a marina in the centre of the development. For aesthetic reasons, tidal fluctuations were eliminated in the marina, by maintaining the water at high tide levels. To allow all-tide access for boats and other pleasure craft, a fully automated lock was built between the existing Lighter Basin and the marina. Holmes Consulting enjoyed working on this important and challenging project, which is now an attractive part of the fast-developing Viaduct area—located in close proximity to the many activities and entertainments of Auckland city.
