MLC Building, Auckland
| MLC Building | |
|---|---|
Interactive map of the MLC Building area | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Location | 380 Queen Street, Auckland, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 36°51′12″S 174°45′49″E / 36.8533°S 174.7637°E |
| Completed | 1956 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 9 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | Mitchell & Mitchell |
| Main contractor | Fletcher Construction |
| Official name | MLC Building |
| Designated | 26 November 1981 |
| Reference no. | 618 |
The MLC Building, also known as the Mutual Life & Citizens Assurance Company Building, is a heritage-listed building in Auckland, New Zealand. Located at 380 Queen Street, on the corner of Queen and Airedale Streets, opposite the Auckland Town Hall, the Art Deco building was completed in 1956, at which time it was the tallest building in Auckland.
Design and construction
The building was designed by Mitchell & Mitchell architects and constructed by Fletcher Construction. Work on the building started in May 1954, and it was opened in December 1956 by then mayor of Auckland, Thomas Ashby.[1] At the time of construction, it was the tallest building in Auckland.[2][3]
The ground floor frontage was faced with Balmoral granite veneer supplied by the New Zealand Marble Company, and sculpted granite and terracotta panels appeared over street entrances and on the tower of the building. Lift halls and main corridors were panelled with Queensland maple veneer, with a marble entrance lobby.[4]
Later use
In 1999, the building was converted into a hotel and apartment complex and has since been managed by Scenic Hotel Group as the Legacy Airedale Hotel.[5]
Heritage listing
The building is listed as a Category 2 Historic Place (places considered to have historical or cultural significance or value[6]) by Heritage New Zealand.[7] It is very similar in design to the Mutual Life & Citizens Assurance Company Building in Wellington, completed in 1940. A smaller version of the MLC building, also designed by Mitchell & Mitchell and constructed by Fletcher Construction, was built at 14 Garden Place, Hamilton, in 1957.[8]
Gallery
References
- ^ Smith, Jack (2009). No job too big: a history of Fletcher Construction. Wellington, NZ: Steele Roberts. ISBN 978-1-877448-69-0.
- ^ "Auckland". Global Art Deco. 19 October 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
- ^ "Auckland City Heritage Walks" (PDF). Auckland Council. p. 69. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ^ "Fletcher Holdings Ltd: Arrowhead magazine, February-March 1956". The Fletcher Trust Archive Collection Online. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
- ^ "Central Auckland Heritage Building | Legacy Airedale Hotel". Scenic Hotel Group. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
- ^ "FAQ | Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga". heritage.org.nz. Archived from the original on 28 December 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
- ^ "M.L.C. Building". heritage.org.nz. Archived from the original on 16 December 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
- ^ Smith, Jack (2009). No job too big: a history of Fletcher Construction. Wellington, N.Z: Steele Roberts. ISBN 978-1-877448-69-0.