Elliot Tower is a proposed residential skyscraper

Skyscraper

A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...

 in Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. Designed by the architect Gordon Moller, it would be the tallest building in New Zealand and the second-tallest freestanding structure (after the Sky Tower

Sky Tower

The Sky Tower is an observation and telecommunications tower located on the corner of Victoria and Federal Streets in the Auckland CBD, Auckland City, New Zealand. It is tall, as measured from ground level to the top of the mast, making it the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern...

) in Auckland, with its height proposed at 232m (761 feet) being 55 m higher than the next competitor, the Vero Centre

Vero Centre

The Vero Centre is a high rise office tower located in Auckland, New Zealand. Constructed in 2000, it was Auckland's first major tower built since the 1980s. The centre contains a health club and gymnasium, main entry public foyer, retail outlets in the 5 podium levels and 32 office levels...

. This would also make it the highest building of the country, as well as the highest residential building. However general economic trends have currently stopped further progress as of April 2009.

Project history

Elliot Tower was granted planning permission in October 2007 (with the subsequent building consents still outstanding), and would be located at the crossroads of Lower Elliot, Victoria and Albert Streets, on an empty lot which is currently being occupied by a car park and a reverse bungy ride. The site was formerly occupied by the old Royal Hotel.

However, a late 2007 Environment Court appeal had to be successfully resolved before the building could go forward. SKYCITY Auckland

SKYCITY Auckland

SKYCITY Auckland is a casino and event centre in the Central Business District of Auckland, New Zealand. Located at the base of the Sky Tower, it was the second casino in New Zealand, and still is the only one in Auckland....

, owners of the nearby Sky Tower, alleged that the building would interfere with the use of communications equipment installed on the tower, as well as lead to future conflicts over privacy within the new apartments which could conceivably be seen into from the tower. Law firm Philips Fox DLA also joined the appeal, claiming the tower went against planning policies. By the end of June 2008, these appeals were dropped after an out-of-court settlement, clearing the way for the Elliot to proceed. Construction was originally scheduled to start in 2009, with an estimated completion date of 2013.

The project is currently dormant due to the 2008 financial crisis.

Characteristics

The tower will principally serve as an apartment complex targeted at the upper market, with two penthouses (445 and 590 square metres) on the top two floors and 57 levels of apartments (all facing both west and east) for a total of about 800 residents. Three levels of retail podium and six levels of basement carparking are also proposed. The design was lauded for being particularly eco-friendly, incorporating solar panels, carbon sink plantings to offset building service emissions, as well as a co-generation plant for energy efficiency. A rainwater-capture system is also proposed, and two sky gardens and a public garden on the retail podium are to be available for residents and customers. The sky gardens have also been mooted as breaking up the facade, providing for visual and wind movement benefits. A proposed Albert Street underground railway station adjoins the site.

Construction

Following final discussions with Auckland's Urban Design Panel and other affected parties, the Elliott Tower was granted resource consent

Resource consent

A resource consent is the authorisation given to certain activities or uses of natural and physical resources required under the New Zealand Resource Management Act . Some activities may either be specifically authorised by the RMA or be permitted activities authorised by rules in plans...

 by Auckland City Council

Auckland City Council

Auckland City Council was the local government authority representing Auckland City, New Zealand, and was amalgamated into the Auckland Council on 1 November 2010. It was an elected body representing the 404,658 residents of the city...

 in October 2007. Its completion has been estimated for 2011, with the equivalent of around 500 full-time workers to be employed in its construction.

The constructors of Elliot Tower are Dae Ju Group, a Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

n construction firm that is also working on and has plans for other buildings around the Auckland CBD

Auckland CBD

The Auckland CBD is the geographical and economic heart of the Auckland metropolitan area. Bounded by several major motorways and by the harbour coastline in the north, it is surrounded further out by mostly suburban areas...

area. The firm estimates a $450 million value upon completion of the tower.