Hilton Auckland exterior building reclad a ‘massive challenge’: Brosnan

Hilton Auckland on Princes Wharf during recladding this year. Photo / Brosnan

It designed a scaffolding system supported by and attached to the hotel structure on each level, instead of standing on the ground.

“We were able to reduce the impact of our work site, keep the commercial activities around it fully functional, and create a safe environment for the people enjoying Princes Wharf,” Brosnan said.

The Hilton Auckland has been open since 2001. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Singaporean landlord M & L Group said, “As long-term owners of the property, we regularly reinvest in the building.

“The recent recladding formed part of a broader programme to convert the former level-eight apartment into additional hotel rooms.”

In 2019, the Herald reported how that had been completed on the top floor.

The recladding work started in July and finished last month.

Views from level eight of the Hilton Auckland. Photo / Jason Oxenham

“The project was carefully staged to ensure the hotel could continue operating as normal, with minimal disruption to guests, team members and neighbours,” M & L Group said.

A manager at the hotel said work was more like maintenance and was relatively minor, but it was necessary because of being beside the sea.

On level eight of Hilton Auckland. Photo / Jason Oxenham

“It was not a major renovation,” he said.

Auckland Council said upgrade work on the building had been going on for some time.

That included returning a private apartment to hotel accommodation.

The view from the Hilton Auckland’s eighth-floor King Bow Suite is one of the best in Auckland. Photo / Stephanie Holmes

Different firms had been involved with different parts of that work.

The reclad involved a portion of the external walls on the eastern side of Hilton, from levels two to seven.

It included removing two aluminium mast features and rebuilding the U-feature on the east and west sides.

A level-eight bathroom pictured in 2019 at Hilton Auckland. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Brosnan was involved in that work, the council said.

The hotel markets itself as nautically inspired, being on the end of Princes Wharf, “a welcoming dock for cruise liners in summer”.

Rooms have panoramic views, an outdoor lap pool has a unique underwater viewing window, and the hotel includes the Fish restaurant and Bellini Bar.

The Hilton Auckland, at the tip of Princes Wharf, markets itself as having a nautical theme. Photo / NZME

In 2010, the Herald reported that guests had been barred from rooms while big leak repairs were finished.

Work was needed to stop water from penetrating the walls.

Exploratory work revealed issues with the exterior that resulted in years of investigations and reports.

The neighbouring Shed 24, on the western wharf tip, was also suffering serious leaks at the same time.

A report by architect John Sinclair questioned the structural integrity of the leaky wharf buildings and recommended that an engineer investigate.

He said he saw no evidence of structural “degradation”, but could not rule it out.

In 2012, the Herald reported the hotel’s sale to Singaporean entrepreneur Michael Kum of M & L Group.

Bellini Bar at Hilton Auckland.

M & L applied for Overseas Investment Office approval to buy the hotel and the ground-floor Overseas Passenger Terminal used for cruise liners.

Last month, the Herald reported how Brosnan was recognised for its work on a luxury Queenstown resort that needed $160 million of leaky building repairs.

Work to fix the 161 apartments at The Oaks Queenstown Shores Resort is costing $993,000 per unit, according to the building boss in charge.

The scope of the work at the four-block 12-level complex is extensive.

It involves pulling all the buildings back to their concrete structures, replacing roofs, walls, balcony membranes, windows, doors, kitchens and interior linings.

The owners began repairs in 2019, reaching a confidential settlement with the Queenstown Lakes District Council in 2022.

Anne Gibson has been the Herald‘s property editor for 25 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.

Listen and subscribe to the Today in Business podcast – the top headlines from the NZ Herald business team summarised and delivered by an artificial intelligence (AI) voice as an easily digestible recap.