First mall gets fairytale makeover

The Brickworks plaza leads to the new cinemas, seven restaurants and a mini-putt golf course.

$39m upgrade gives New Lynn and neighbours state-of-the-art facilities.

A four-storey-high movie screen in a 460-seat theatre with a state-of-the-art Dolby sound system, a fairy-lit tree-lined 740-seat restaurant precinct and a new sports facility have been revealed after the first peek into Auckland's biggest mall makeover of the year.

The Herald was the first media organisation invited to tour the new precinct being finished at LynnMall, the country's first mall when it opened in 1963.

The $39 million extension takes the mall in New Lynn forward more than half a century by providing a new dining and entertainment precinct opening in two stages: November 5 and mid-November.

Eight new cinemas covering 3300sq m and fitted out with distinctive large red leatherette seats are:

• The Titan theatre, with Dolby Atmos audio technology, said to give a 3D sound experience by allowing noise to move all around the theatre rather than being constrained to channels. The 20m-wide, 11m-high screen is equivalent to a four-storey building.

• Two premium-only theatres with their own premium lounge and no standard seats.

• A further five theatres ranging from 75 seats up to 200, with the option to show films ranging from art house to blockbusters and potentially under-cutting ticket prices elsewhere in Auckland, although no details are yet out on that.

They will all be operated by Reading Cinemas and end a 14-year absence of movie theatres in New Lynn.

Outside, a new paved north-facing sheltered 'street' has been created, flanked by seven restaurants. Mature trees have been planted in an area called The Brickworks, a nod to the area's pottery history, which includes classic kiwiana label Crown Lynn and the 13 brickworks established there in the 1870s.

The seven outlets are gastro-dining Goode Brothers, wood-fired BBQ Clever & Co, Turkish-Greek Bodrum Kitchen, contemporary Japanese bistro Wagamama, cafe Shaky Isles, Vietnamese Hansan and sushi donburi Meso.

Beside The Brickworks' entry is a new mini-putt golf course, topped with taut floating white sails or canopies for shade and shelter.

But the Brickworks' centrepiece is a circular-shaped sheltered civic plaza which connects to the level one cinemas via a flight of stairs and an up-only escalator.

A slightly raised wooden stage gives a focus to the area. Centre manager Lauren Riley said small events or shows could be held there.

A "non-plastic children's play area" alongside that uses natural features and materials, including timber and a green area, to draw younger patrons.

Less than a fortnight before The Brickworks' opening, the area is still a hectic construction site. The restaurants are being fitted out and the theatres are dark, precarious voids filled with scaffolding and building materials.

But all the bones are in place to extend LynnMall's offering to up to 500,000 people within a 15-minute drive.

Doors open

Thursday, November 5, midday: The Brickworks dining lane opens
Mid-November: Reading Cinemas open eight screens