CLIENT: Cooper & Co

ARCHITECT: Peddle Thorpe

HERITAGE ARCHITECT: Salmond Reed

This once-in-a-generation project required some innovative thinking and close collaboration with all stakeholders across the board from the client, architect, builder and our team to restore a landmark heritage building to its former glory.

When Cooper & Co. purchased the building as part of Downtown Auckland’s Britomart redevelopment, the Auckland Council and heritage consultants included a condition of the sale: the reinstatement of the original 1906 pediment and handrail. 

At over 7 metres tall, the original pediment was the largest of its kind in New Zealand but was removed in the 1950s due to safety and aesthetic considerations. Liquidstone was commissioned to create a strong, lightweight solution for the new installation.

The skills of the original artisans have long been lost to NZ, so innovative new techniques and methodologies were developed. Working from a black-and-white photograph we worked with our client and architects for 12 months to meticulously recreate the original pediment.

A team of skilled wood turners, model makers and GRC technicians worked in materials like clay and rubber for over 12 months to meticulously recreate the form and details of the original pediment.

In New Zealand’s post-2011 Christchurch earthquake environment, the GRC reinstatement of these features is a template to balance construction safety, building resilience and heritage authenticity.