Call to declare Rakinos Building historic

The Rakinos Building (centre) overlooks Freyberg Place. Photo / Supplied

An 81-year-old Auckland office block is being sold tomorrow but the Art Deco Society is lobbying to have it declared historic.

The Rakinos Building at 35 High St in the central business district faces Freyberg Place between Shortland St and Victoria St East.

The 409sq m, seven-level building is being sold by Guardian Trust via tender with Colliers International.

The society's heritage assessment shows Vincent Ward's Vigil and The Navigator, Jane Campion's An Angel At My Table and other major films including In My Father's Den were distributed from the building.

The tender to sell the block closes tomorrow but the society has requested Auckland City Council to make a plan change which would recognise the building's heritage value.

The building does not have historic recognition from either the council or Historic Places Trust. This week, a heritage assessment was sent to the council and a spokesperson for the society said the building had considerable historic value yet no protection.

The building could be demolished without consideration of its heritage significance, the spokesperson said.

"The most significant association this building is known to have is with the Returned Services Association as headquarters for the Auckland RSA. The RSA purchased [the building] in 1943 and continued to occupy it for half the building's life until sold in 1973. The building also provided offices for the Returned Army Nursing Sisters Club and the Disabled Serviceman's Re-establishment League Retail Shop," the assessment said.

"Originally known as British Chambers, it was renamed the 'RSA Building' in 1946, until it became known as the Keans Building in 1978.

"Up until the RSA sold the building, it provided offices for various professional businesses including engineers, accountants, lawyers, Butterworth legal publishers, the Listener, Goldberg Advertising and Nestle (NZ)."