It is understood the company started paying rent last month for its new staff and studio spaces on the sixth and seventh floors of TVNZ’s Victoria St building.
Building contractors have already moved in, with their construction signs visible in TVNZ windows.
The move can’t come soon enough for more than 160 RNZ staff who are currently crammed into a rabbit warren-like space in a building on Hobson St in central Auckland. The building is no longer fit for purpose for a modern-day media company.
The cost
RNZ said today the total capital cost of the project was $10.66m across various contracts.
The contract for building works had been awarded to interiors and construction company Cape for $6.165m (excluding GST). The technical fitout had been awarded to Gencom, Qvest and AVC, with a total budgeted spend of $4.5m.
“The project is being funded from RNZ’s capital investment budget and from financial reserves,” said an RNZ statement.
RNZ building contractors’ signs are already visible in the windows of TVNZ’s Auckland headquarters. Photo / supplied
RNZ chief technology officer Mark Bullen said in the statement that the challenge for the fitout was building studio spaces that enhanced “RNZ’s strengths in audio-first media production”.
“All the studio spaces have been designed to minimise sound leakages and shaped to provide the best acoustic properties for recording.
“This means isolating the spaces with raised floors, double-layered walls, and ceilings to insulate them from noise elsewhere.
“For our music studio, we are including a lightweight concrete floor isolated from the main structure, ensuring sound created in that space is as contained as it can be.”
RNZ’s level 7 features two main studios, an open-plan workspace and reception, according to early design plans.
RNZ has been approached for further comment about the cost and timeline.
Bullen said RNZ’s project team had undertaken a “value engineering process to identify areas of savings for the project prior to any work starting and is committed to delivering value for money for the project”.
“Our focus throughout has been on how we can make sure we are providing more for our audiences by increasing our capacity in audio, and at the same time, how we can reduce other costs of the relocation process,” he said.
Level 6 features studios for podcasting, music, multimedia and Concert FM, according to early design plans.
“That’s meant keeping existing spaces like bathrooms and kitchens where we can, limiting custom built-in furniture and reusing office equipment such as desks, chairs and even some functional studio equipment, all of which is being transferred over from Hobson St.”
The move to relocate into TVNZ was officially announced, after months of speculation, last December.
In May this year, Media Insider revealed a range of rules of engagement that TVNZ was imposing on its new tenant and its builders.
RNZ chair Jim Mather, left, and chief executive Paul Thompson at a Parliament select committee. Watching on from behind are, from left, former TVNZ chair Alastair Carruthers, former TVNZ chief operating officer Brent McAnulty and TVNZ chief executive Jodi O’Donnell.
The RNZ statement today acknowledged the “significant” investment but also said the new building would create a “significant improvement” to RNZ’s studios, with 500sq m of studio space across the two floors.
“The music studio is doubling in size, allowing for larger live performances to be recorded. RNZ will also be able to capture video across a greater number of studio locations in the new premises.
“The number of studios capable of live production will increase, and these spaces are also designed to be flexible, supporting recording, production or editing when needed.
“This flexibility means more support for standalone podcast recording and multimedia studio production. It will also provide more editing capacity, enabling RNZ to increase its output to audiences.”
RNZ has been in its current Hobson St for more than 20 years. In that time, its Auckland staff numbers have increased from 30 to more than 160.
RNZ chief people officer Sarah Neilson said in the statement today that moving to a larger space had been a priority.
“We outgrew our space in Hobson St some time ago as we progressively moved more of our people and production to Auckland,” she said in a statement.
“Our new location in the TVNZ building is bigger and will accommodate our people in a modernised facility.”
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.