St James Apartment Church Conversion, Mt Eden, Auckland

This unique façade has been painstakingly restored, with the addition of extensive seismic strengthening. Four modern, three-bedroom apartments have been carefully inserted into the historic fabric of the building.

Decorative interior details were retained and preserved. The stained-glass windows and decorative bracing were refurbished and the wide Kauri boards that used to line the ceiling have become feature floorboards.

This project is a testament to the importance of renovation and restoration, bringing new life to Auckland’s Architectural Heritage and giving this precious building a new purpose.

Constraints included the challenge of the number of land use activities, and working through extensive heritage challenges.

It was great working with Gel Architects on this project. They have done a brilliant job restoring and reimagining this landmark building for modern living.