This unique project required innovative thinking and a suite of artisanal craft skills to deliver a bespoke GRC solution to restore a landmark heritage building to its former glory.

When Cooper & Co. purchased Sofrana House as part its Auckland Britomart redevelopment, Auckland Council’s heritage consultants included reinstatement of its original pediment and handrail as a condition of sale.

Rendered in horsehair and plaster and over 7 metres tall, the 1906 pediment was the largest in New Zealand. However, decay from exposure to salt air, aesthetic considerations and desire to modernise the building led to its removal in the 1950s. 

Heritage architects drafted hand sketches from historical photos as the basis for the commission to create a strong, lightweight solution for re-installation. As the original artisans’ skills are long lost in New Zealand, a fusion of new techniques and heritage methodologies were developed to deliver the solution in GRC. 

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.