Space for rent in historic landmark in the central city

Much of the third floor of the iconic Chancery Chambers is available for lease from the Auckland District Law Society. Photo / Supplied

A substantial portion of the third floor of the historic Chancery Chambers building on the corner of Chancery and O'Connell St in the Auckland CBD is being offered for lease by its owner, Auckland District Law Society.

"It's a unique area within our building because it is the only open-office space," says Marcus Martin, the society's director of membership services. The space is occupied by an IT company which is expanding to other office space within the premises.

A previous occupant, the society's Law Firms Trust Accounting Bureau, has moved to the fourth floor.

The 123sq m area is being offered for lease at $220 per sq m plus GST and operating expenses which are about 30 per cent of the total rent.

"The operating expenses include rates, water and electricity but not cleaning, and tenants are credited after an 'end-of-year washup' if the operating expenses have been overpaid," Martin says.

"The main office area of 102sq m would suitably house six to eight people, with a large meeting room and storage room. The other 21sq m is a general common-use area."

Other offices in the building are occupied by six independent lawyers, a real estate agent, a contract typist and an agent for processing and recycling.

Languages International, which teaches English to foreign students, occupies the first and second levels of the six-storey building, with Premier Print occupying the basement. The ground-floor retail level hosts the Khao Thai Restaurant and the society's legal publications shop, the Law Store.

Martin says the space available would ideally suit a firm seeking an open-plan environment in the city centre with the added benefit of having the use of a dedicated meeting room, small kitchen and storage room.

"It's light and airy with double-glazed windows lining one side of the office. In addition, the building is fully air-conditioned, complemented by gas central heating for the winter months, and has all the usual amenities.

"Chancery Chambers is also fitted with a monitored security system throughout and is serviced by both passenger and goods delivery elevators."

Martin says the preferred term is for a two-year lease with further rights of renewal to be negotiated. Tenants can hire the seventh-level roof garden, which can host up to 100 for social events. Several conference and discussion rooms are also available to hire. The iconic round-turreted Council Chamber can hold 26 people in theatre-style seating, the Norman Shieff Room 40, the Bob Duncan Room 12 and the Stan & Kitty Tong Room 10.

A modern kitchen, laptop audio-visual units with overhead projectors, teleconferencing facilities, recording equipment, whiteboards, video players and monitors are also available.

Catering can be arranged through the society with established suppliers.
Chancery Chambers was built in 1924 on the site of Acacia Cottage, thought to have been Auckland's first European-style dwelling. It was the home of Sir John Logan Campbell.

Designed by J. Sholto Smith of Mullions & Smith and listed as a historic building, the Chancery Chambers incorporates early influences of both gothic revival and French design.

It originally housed a tearooms in the sixth-floor tower and a Turkish bath-house in the basement.

The law society bought the building in 1989 and - with Mace Development and architect James Morrison - restored it to reflect its 1920s origin.

The building at 2-8 Chancery St faces Freyberg Place and the Metropolis apartment building. It adjoins the popular Chancery shopping centre which itself was architecturally modelled on Chancery Chambers.

The surrounding area is home to many of Auckland's designer boutiques and cafes, pubs and restaurants. Albert Park, the Queen St retail strip and several city carpark buildings are nearby. It is a short walk to the Britomart Transport Centre and ferry terminals.