New $200m Abbott Residences at Parnell, modelled on London’s Chelsea Barracks, Belgravia

Abbott Residences is named after John Abbott, who established the Jubilee Institute for the Blind in 1890.

Inside the luxurious new Abbott Residences, Parnell. Photo / Jason Dorday

The building is between Maunsall Rd and Titoki St.

It rose on the site of what was a two-decade-old office block that leaked and where Blind Low Vision NZ was once headquartered.

That organisation is now in the new Nathan Residences beside Abbott Residences.

Abbott Residences has an imported Jura limestone facade from Bavaria in Germany to match Nathan Residences.

And now preparatory groundwork is underway for the largest of all the new buildings: a 13-level block, to be clad in the same Jura.

Nathan Residences, the first of four blocks at The Foundation, before Abbott Residences rose. Photo / Alex Burton

Pearson Residences is to be a $250m, 52-unit building, featuring two levels of hospital and memory care, a hydrotherapy and wellness centre, and a 120-seat restaurant and bar.

All new Foundation buildings were designed by Peddlethorp design and architecture studio.

A tour of Abbott showed the luxuries on offer.

Herb gardens with mint, thyme and parsley are beneath trees planted between Abbott Residences (left) and Nathan Residences. Photo / Jason Dorday

New apartments have full-height windows and 2.6m internal studs giving volume to the places.

Big covered outdoor areas from each unit are another feature.

A soaring void gives grandeur to this lobby area in Abbott Residences. Photo / Jason Dorday

Gold and silver hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper murals feature on every floor facing the lifts. Those wallpapers are designed in Britain and painted in Shanghai.

These are distinctively different to enable residents to distinguish between mirror-image floor layouts and get off at the right level.

Differing pieces of distinctive de Gournay artwork enable Abbott residents to tell what floor they’re on. Photo / Jason Dorday

Kalmar Construction dug an entire level below ground to create the basement car parking area for 60 vehicles, which links to the neighbouring Nathan Residences’ carpark.

“Driving – the last vestige of independence,” Wilkinson said, explaining why he allocated one car park per apartment when ratios in other retirement properties are often less.

No lava rock was struck during digging, despite the site being beside the maunga, Pukekawa, home to Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland’s War Memorial Museum.

Inside a ground-floor Abbott Residence apartment. Photo / Jason Dorday

Licence-to-occupy contracts have been struck on the sale of 35 of the 60 new Abbott units.

Of those 35, 15 are yet to settle because people have to sell their homes to shift, Wilkinson said.

He acknowledged the slow housing market but is confident all apartments will be sold by next year.

Graham Wilkins says he’s “pretty proud” of the new Abbott Residences. Photo / Jason Dorday

Wilkinson said the most expensive sold so far is a level-four apartment of about 200sq m for $6m. “It has very extensive outside spaces and looks towards the city and harbour.”

Seven apartments are occupied.

The Jura cladding was inspired by London’s Chelsea Barracks apartment project. Photo / Jason Dorday

Level five has a 45-seat dining area and outdoor rooftop terrace for a residents’ retreat with panoramic views across the Auckland Domain, to the museum, the city skyline and Waitematā Harbour.

Apartments feature sculleries and full laundries, and the block has an integrated air conditioning system – no cheap individual heat pumps.

Secure entry to the basement carpark beneath Abbott Residences. Photo / Jason Dorday

Keyless entry and secure underground car parking are other features.

Interior designs are by Stewart Harris.

Abbott’s landscaped courtyard has a 150-year-old persimmon tree from the former Woodstock Estate orchard, Papakura. That tree was rescued after flooding in 2011 and given a permanent home at The Foundation.

Inside a lounge area at the new $200m Abbott Residences, Parnell. Photo / Jason Dorday

Abbott also has the new Awhina Suites, which have Ministry of Health-certified respite, rest home, hospital-level, palliative and memory care.

Wilkinson said $580m will be spent at The Foundation on land, buildings and all related costs.

View from the fifth floor of Abbott Residences of the domain, museum, CBD and waterfront. Photo / Jason Dorday

So far, he has spent $330m developing Nathan Residences, Abbott Residences and the heritage-listed Pearson House.

Completion of The Foundation is expected by 2030.

Groundwork on the planned 13-level Pearson Residences is shown towards the right of this image. Photo / Jason Dorday

Generus Group has:

Parnell’s The Foundation;Mt Eden’s Ranfurly;Planning The Point Mission Bay;Mount Maunganui’s Pacific Lakes;Mount Maunganui’s Pacific Coast;Fendalton’s Holly Lea;Burnside’s Russley

“As you can see, I’m pretty proud of this,” Wilkinson says of the new Abbot Residences.

“Now I’m looking for a site for an eighth village.”

Abbot Residences, The Foundation

New $200m retirement residents’ block;4-6 Maunsell Rd, Parnell, Auckland;Built by Kalmar Construction;Developed by Generus Group and Blind Low Vision;On Blind Low Vision land, leased for 100 years;Generus Group wholly owned by Graham Wilkinson;Licence to occupy average price $3m;Apartments for sale from $2m to $6m;Sixty units with 60 basement car parks;Contracts struck on 35 apartments so far;About 15 of those yet to settle while buyers sell homes;Deferred management fee 30% – amount lost by buyer.

Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 26 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.

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