{"id":584626,"date":"2026-08-30T05:00:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T05:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/584626\/"},"modified":"2026-08-30T05:00:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T05:00:10","slug":"new-200m-abbott-residences-at-parnell-modelled-on-londons-chelsea-barracks-belgravia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/584626\/","title":{"rendered":"New $200m Abbott Residences at Parnell, modelled on London\u2019s Chelsea Barracks, Belgravia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Abbott Residences is named after John Abbott, who established the Jubilee Institute for the Blind in 1890.<\/p>\n

\"InsideInside the luxurious new Abbott Residences, Parnell. Photo \/ Jason Dorday<\/p>\n

The building is between Maunsall Rd and Titoki St.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

That organisation is now in the new Nathan Residences beside Abbott Residences.<\/p>\n

Abbott Residences has an imported Jura limestone facade from Bavaria in Germany to match Nathan Residences.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"NathanNathan Residences, the first of four blocks at The Foundation, before Abbott Residences rose. Photo \/ Alex Burton<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

All new Foundation buildings were designed by Peddlethorp design and architecture studio.<\/p>\n

A tour of Abbott showed the luxuries on offer.<\/p>\n

\"HerbHerb gardens with mint, thyme and parsley are beneath trees planted between Abbott Residences (left) and Nathan Residences. Photo \/ Jason Dorday<\/p>\n

New apartments have full-height windows and 2.6m internal studs giving volume to the places.<\/p>\n

Big covered outdoor areas from each unit are another feature.<\/p>\n

\"AA soaring void gives grandeur to this lobby area in Abbott Residences. Photo \/ Jason Dorday<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

These are distinctively different to enable residents to distinguish between mirror-image floor layouts and get off at the right level.<\/p>\n

\"DifferingDiffering pieces of distinctive de Gournay artwork enable Abbott residents to tell what floor they’re on. Photo \/ Jason Dorday<\/p>\n

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\u2019 carpark.<\/p>\n

\u201cDriving \u2013 the last vestige of independence,\u201d Wilkinson said, explaining why he allocated one car park per apartment when ratios in other retirement properties are often less.<\/p>\n

No lava rock was struck during digging, despite the site being beside the maunga, Pukekawa, home to T\u0101maki Paenga Hira Auckland\u2019s War Memorial Museum.<\/p>\n

\"InsideInside a ground-floor Abbott Residence apartment. Photo \/ Jason Dorday<\/p>\n

Licence-to-occupy contracts have been struck on the sale of 35 of the 60 new Abbott units.<\/p>\n

Of those 35, 15 are yet to settle because people have to sell their homes to shift, Wilkinson said.<\/p>\n

He acknowledged the slow housing market but is confident all apartments will be sold by next year.<\/p>\n

\"GrahamGraham Wilkins says he’s “pretty proud” of the new Abbott Residences. Photo \/ Jason Dorday<\/p>\n

Wilkinson said the most expensive sold so far is a level-four apartment of about 200sq m for $6m. \u201cIt has very extensive outside spaces and looks towards the city and harbour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seven apartments are occupied.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Jura cladding was inspired by London’s Chelsea Barracks apartment project. Photo \/ Jason Dorday<\/p>\n

Level five has a 45-seat dining area and outdoor rooftop terrace for a residents\u2019 retreat with panoramic views across the Auckland Domain, to the museum, the city skyline and Waitemat\u0101 Harbour.<\/p>\n

Apartments feature sculleries and full laundries, and the block has an integrated air conditioning system \u2013 no cheap individual heat pumps.<\/p>\n

\"SecureSecure entry to the basement carpark beneath Abbott Residences. Photo \/ Jason Dorday<\/p>\n

Keyless entry and secure underground car parking are other features.<\/p>\n

Interior designs are by Stewart Harris.<\/p>\n

Abbott\u2019s 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"InsideInside a lounge area at the new $200m Abbott Residences, Parnell. Photo \/ Jason Dorday<\/p>\n

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

Wilkinson said $580m will be spent at The Foundation on land, buildings and all related costs.<\/p>\n

\"ViewView from the fifth floor of Abbott Residences of the domain, museum, CBD and waterfront. Photo \/ Jason Dorday<\/p>\n

So far, he has spent $330m developing Nathan Residences, Abbott Residences and the heritage-listed Pearson House.<\/p>\n

Completion of The Foundation is expected by 2030.<\/p>\n

\"GroundworkGroundwork on the planned 13-level Pearson Residences is shown towards the right of this image. Photo \/ Jason Dorday<\/p>\n

Generus Group has:<\/p>\n

Parnell\u2019s The Foundation;Mt Eden\u2019s Ranfurly;Planning The Point Mission Bay<\/a>;Mount Maunganui\u2019s Pacific Lakes;Mount Maunganui\u2019s Pacific Coast;Fendalton\u2019s Holly Lea;Burnside\u2019s Russley<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you can see, I\u2019m pretty proud of this,\u201d Wilkinson says of the new Abbot Residences.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow I\u2019m looking for a site for an eighth village.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abbot Residences, The Foundation<\/p>\n

New $200m retirement residents\u2019 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% \u2013 amount lost by buyer.<\/p>\n

Anne Gibson<\/a> has been the Herald\u2019s property editor for 26 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.<\/p>\n

Stay ahead with the latest market moves, corporate updates, and economic insights by subscribing to our Business newsletter<\/a> \u2013 your essential weekly round-up of all the business news you need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Abbott Residences is named after John Abbott, who established the Jubilee Institute for the Blind in 1890. Inside…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":584627,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[82259,42571,1975,287752,287753,674,39307,2245,71946,1888,1342,20468,2959,5832,685,5983,6431,121236,4486,3234,117,111,10511,43,139,69,41640,90,43239,52154,32564,1436,1849],"class_list":["post-584626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-200m","tag-abbott","tag-at","tag-barracks","tag-belgravia","tag-building","tag-chelsea","tag-early","tag-finished","tag-first","tag-five","tag-foundation","tag-high","tag-july","tag-last","tag-levels","tag-londons","tag-modelled","tag-month","tag-months","tag-new","tag-new-zealand","tag-newest","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-occupants","tag-on","tag-parnell","tag-parnells","tag-residences","tag-rise","tag-welcomed"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=584626"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584626\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/584627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=584626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=584626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=584626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}