Work leaves hotel bones exposed

Repairs to the exterior walls of the Heritage Auckland hotel. Photo / Jason Oxenham

It's home to the All Blacks in Auckland and was once the city's grandest department store but now holes have been cut in the facade of Heritage Auckland, exposing internal framing and steel.

The building's exterior walls are sporting silver duct tape after parts of the facade were chopped open to reveal the original brickwork, steel and wood. The holes are cut out of the Wyndham St and Hobson St facades, across a number of levels.

Wire mesh is visible behind the plaster, particularly around windows, and some exposed wood beneath the facade is decayed.

Gary Jarvis, the hotel's group operation manager, confirmed work was being done to the building's exterior.

It would be painted around new year, he said.

The building is run by a body corporate; individuals own places inside and many are leased to the hotel.

"We're just doing some remedial work. It's not structural. It's preventive maintenance, preparing for work on the facade in the next few months. It's just something that needs to be done," Mr Jarvis said.

"We've had maintenance people through and they identified areas that need to be completed as part of the ongoing maintenance programme. Some of the plaster work needs to be redone and we're looking at windows and flashings to make sure they're okay."

The body corporate had engaged APS for initial work on the hotel.

"APS did some of the work and we're getting more detailed reports as well," Mr Jarvis said.

The building was upgraded in 1990 when it was converted into a hotel.

Anne Gibson