Commercial Bay’s PwC Tower opens for business today

The tower, situated at 15 Customs Street West, is home to anchor client PwC which has also taken the building’s naming rights. The tower comprises the final piece of the $1B mixed-use Commercial Bay precinct designed by Warren and Mahoney in collaboration with Woods Bagot and NH Architecture.

Today also marks the opening of the PwC workplace which occupies six floors within the tower and is designed by Warren and Mahoney. The workplace prioritises connection and a sense of community, optimising their built assets while encouraging Partners and staff to be more agile.

New clients moving into the tower include Jarden, who also moved in today, as well as MinterEllisonRuddWatts, Chapman Tripp, and DLA Piper, along with many other leading businesses who will move into the prestigious address in coming months.

Comprising 39,000 sqm of premium grade commercial office space over 39 levels and featuring a double height Sky Lobby that opens on to an outdoor Sky Terrace, the PwC Tower at Commercial Bay has transformed Auckland’s skyline.

At its base sits the three-level laneway retail precinct which was opened last month, creating the highest concentration of quality retailers in Auckland’s city centre and showcasing world-class bars, eateries and the New York-inspired Harbour Eats food hall.

The $1bn Commercial Bay development, which incorporates the new PwC Tower, is integrated with HSBC House, Jarden House, AMP Centre and the former PwC Tower at 188 Quay Street. It also straddles the two newly constructed tunnels which will form part of the City Rail Link (CRL).

In 2015 Precinct entered into a development agreement with Auckland Transport to coordinate works with the CRL. As a result of this agreement Precinct constructed the tunnels running underneath Commercial Bay, making this one of the most complex construction projects undertaken in New Zealand.

Precinct Properties Chief Executive, Scott Pritchard, is immensely proud to see years of hard work come to fruition and for clients to move into the spaces they’ve been working hard to create.

“It’s a hugely significant moment for us to open the PwC Tower at Commercial Bay, the next stage in Auckland’s transformation into a world-class waterfront city and a new commercial hub of the city centre. I would like to express my thanks to the entire project team and to our clients who have shared the vision we had to create a development of this calibre, unlike anything seen before in New Zealand,” Pritchard says.

“Commercial Bay is the jewel in Auckland’s crown and with approximately 10,000 people working within the five interconnected office buildings throughout the precinct. We are confident it will bring continued revitalisation to the economy as well as reinforcing the importance of workplaces as a central place for people to come together and collaborate.

“This building is state-of-the-art and features outstanding end-of-trip facilities and meeting suites, an incredible line up of local and international food and fashion brands just a lift ride away, remarkable newly commissioned public art works and unparalleled harbour views.”

PwC New Zealand Chief Executive and Senior Partner, Mark Averill, says Commercial Bay is a remarkable development – a confident symbol of Auckland’s future and a new hub for the business community.

“We are proud to have the PwC name associated with Commercial Bay and I am delighted to be moving our team into their new workplace today. We are excited to have a vibrant new home in the PwC Tower where we can bring our people and clients together in a fully flexible, collaborative and tech-enabled environment."

PwC Tower was designed through a design collaboration between Woods Bagot and Warren and Mahoney, and Blair Johnston, Principal at Warren and Mahoney, says the tower creates a new, striking symbol on Auckland’s skyline.

“Its distinctive curved form gestures towards the Waitematā, while the sleek glazed skin is unique and instantly identifiable across the city. The diagrid structure allows the tower to establish a subtle resonance with our Pacific origins,” Johnston says. “We have designed an international quality environment which is expressive of Auckland’s unique identity.

“It’s a great example of a private entity – in this case Precinct Properties working collaboratively with public organisations – Auckland Council, Panuku, Auckland Transport and CRL; alongside Mana Whenua partners to achieve an outcome that moves the experience of the city forward. I hope this is the start of a new model for integrated City Centre development – with design outcomes, identity, and sustainability as core principles.”

Woods Bagot director, Patrick Daly, says at the core of the Commercial Bay precinct, the PwC Tower epitomises the potent combination of global design expertise and local knowledge working seamlessly towards a common goal.

“One of the key things on a project of this scale and complexity is the need for collective authorship. In a fantastic collaboration respecting what we each brought to the design, Woods Bagot and Warren and Mahoney harnessed technological innovation to overcome site constraints and deliver a standout building for Auckland.”

The integration of a new Bus Interchange on Albert Street and 24/7 connection via the laneway to the Britomart Transport hub offers seamless transit connections for Aucklanders and visitors alike.

As early as the 1800’s, the southern shore of the Waitematā known as Commercial Bay was at the centre of Auckland’s transport, trade and commerce.

The newly completed precinct reinstates the historical name Commercial Bay and this area as the beginning of the city. It re-establishes a central place for trade and hospitality, creating a destination for Aucklanders and visitors to come together as well as office and retail workers commuting here every day.

View more about this project here.