Quad 7

Quad 7 establishes an important gateway, visually connecting Auckland Airport's Terminal and Quad Precincts across George Bolt Memorial.  Located at the intersection between the masterplan’s pedestrian orientated Central Connector and the airport’s main vehicular route, this gateway building operates both at the scale of the wider site and the finer grain of the new commercial development within the Quad Precinct.

Offering 9000m² of office and retail space Quad 7 provides flexible floor plates ensuring high quality workplace for both single and multi-tenancy arrangements.  Its lower levels enable cafes, hospitality and small commercial tenancies to activate the future pedestrian route.

The upper four floors of the building have been tuned to achieve efficient office space with excellent access to natural light and views.  The lower two floors are smaller in footprint with the lowest floor designed to accommodate retail and hospitality uses.  At ground floor, pedestrians benefit from the shelter provided by the overhang above. The projections of the building at the east and west ends perform an urban design function by interrupting the existing street, encouraging the eye along the Central Connector, and extending the building toward George Bolt Memorial Drive over key in-ground infrastructure.

The elongated nature of the building results in challenges in tenancy division, access and servicing.  Two cores, located at quarter points along the building, relieve the requirement for fire rated corridors, therefore maintaining access to natural light throughout the floor plate. Four external stairs remove the bulk of the access routes from the floor plate to retain regular and uninterrupted tenancy space.

As the next major development within the precinct, this building is an important piece of the larger masterplan both in terms of location and scale but also in terms of maintaining a level of quality and confirming the Airport as a significant commercial destination.

This floating, black, glazed box is a slick and smooth addition to a growing commercial and retail district near Auckland Airport. Open at both ends, and without a back, the elegant yet unapologetically commercial building is spatially generous to both users and pedestrians, and detailed with precision.
- New Zealand Institute of Architects Local Awards Citation, 2017