Premium space in a heritage building on lower Queen Street, Auckland, is available for lease through CBRE, offering tenants the opportunity to occupy the finest character offices currently available in New Zealand.

131 Queen Street, a century-old building that has just been extensively refurbished by Krukziener Properties, sets a new benchmark in luxury - expertly blending modern working environments and amenities with exquisitely restored original detailing.

Stefan Winstanley and Matt Hockey, CBRE office leasing directors, are offering the top two floors (levels seven and eight) in the Heritage NZ-listed building, which originally housed the celebrated Milne and Choyce department store.

“Office tenants looking for space with a real wow factor should look no further than 131 Queen,” Winstanley says.

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“Krukziener Properties has left no stone unturned in their meticulous refurbishment and seismic strengthening of this grand old lady of Queen Street, which now provides absolutely gorgeous, ornate art deco interiors and contemporary office facilities.”

Both floors have high 4.5-metre studs, expansive glazed frontages, premium bathrooms including shower facilities, and huge outdoor terraces for tenants to entertain staff and clients.

With most of the office space already signed up, the top two floors offer the last opportunities for larger businesses to occupy this masterfully-transformed building in a premium downtown address, says Hockey.

“This is truly unique office space in a class of its own - there is nothing comparable in quality and size available anywhere else at the moment.

"From the marble-lined lobby and bathrooms to the light-filled office spaces with their soaring ceilings, this is a quality renovation that will add a hefty amount of prestige to incoming tenants’ brands.”

Flexibility is offered to potential occupiers, who could opt to take one or both floors, providing a total of 1,340sq m of space connected by a staircase.

Alternatively, the floors can be leased separately, offering spaces of around 940sq m (level seven) and 400sq m (level eight).

The market for premium quality, well located offices in Auckland CBD is tight, with vacancy reducing back to pre-Covid levels, Winstanley says.

“There is a flight to quality occurring as tenant opt to take better quality office space in more desirable locations and carry out new internal fit outs to attract staff back to the office and support hybrid working.”

Several tenants have already signed up for space in the building, including the National Business Review, Accenture, Montarne, Cyber CX and the building’s owner, Krukziener Properties’ offices.

The ground floor will house luxury retail, while level one will be a food & beverage precinct including a whisky bar and dining spaces for tenants and the public.

As well as sensitively restoring the building’s interiors and facade, Krukziener Properties has also installed new air conditioning plant, modernised lifts and completed a significant seismic strengthening project to bring the building to 100 per cent of new building standard.

“The combination of this building’s heritage status, contemporary services and seismic strength mean it is a sought-after proposition for tenants who prefer the uniqueness and beauty of heritage space over newly-built offices,” Hockey says.

The building presents the opportunity for tenants to secure trophy heritage character space in an iconic building which encapsulates the city’s history as well as its future.

Milne and Choyce was the national leader in retailing for its time and an important part of the social fabric of Auckland, with the 600-seat Tudor Tea Rooms and open-air roof garden a popular meeting place, says Winstanley.

“Following its refurbishment, this stunning building captures the romance of days gone by, while also being an important part of the future of lower Queen Street as ongoing evolution in the tenancy makeup in the area continues.”

The Milne and Choyce store was one of the largest and most modern department stores in the country.

Designed by Auckland architect Llewellyn Piper and constructed by Fletcher Brothers in 1924, the concrete building features distinctive octagonal-headed columns, developed in the US to improve earthquake resistance.

This made 131 Queen Street one of New Zealand's first specifically designed earthquake-resilient buildings, as well as enabling the construction of large, open floor plates.

Surrounded by international luxury retail brands and among many high-profile international businesses, lower Queen Street provides a highly sought-after address, Hockey says.

“This location is within easy walking distance of bus, rail and ferry transport, as well as Commercial Bay and Britomart.

"This adds up to a huge array of shopping, dining, entertainment and transport options for local workers to enjoy, which presents a significant drawcard when it comes to staff attraction and retention for businesses based in this part of the CBD.”

- Supplied by CBRE