Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand, with an urban area population of 1,530,500 as of 2024.[1] Many of Auckland's tallest buildings are also the tallest in all of New Zealand. Auckland's skyline by far the largest in Oceania outside of Australia, with 21 buildings above 100 metres (328 feet) in height, six of which are taller than 150 m (492 ft). The city's tallest building is PwC Tower at Commercial Bay, 41-storey a commercial skyscraper built in 2020 that rises to 180 m (590 ft). However, the tallest free-standing structure in Auckland is the 328 m (1,076 ft) Sky Tower, a communication and observation tower completed in 1997. It is the second tallest free-standing structure in the southern hemisphere by pinnacle height, and is a prominent landmark on Auckland's skyline.
The first modern high-rise in Auckland is considered to be the FAI Building, an 11-storey office tower built in 1966. Since then, the skyline has successively grown taller. The Vero Centre (originally the Royal & SunAlliance Centre), a 170 m (560 ft) 38-storey skyscraper, was the tallest building in Auckland for 20 years since its completion in 2000.
In the late 2010s, Auckland underwent a high-rise construction boom that led to several of the city's tallest buildings, including PwC Tower at Commercial Bay, The Pacifica, 51 Albert, and Voco Hotel and Holiday Inn. The boom has slowed down somewhat in the mid-2020s. Seascape, a residential development, is planned to be the tallest skyscraper in New Zealand at 187 m (613 ft). Seascape broke ground in 2017 and is currently topped out, but the building remains unfinished as it was put on hold in 2024.
The majority of Auckland's high-rises are concentrated in a dense core within the city's central business district, on the northern edge of the Auckland isthmus. The main exception is a small group of high-rises in Takapuna, across the Waitematā Harbour. By far the tallest of these is Sentinel, a 120 m (390 ft), 30-storey residential skyscraper built in 2007.
History
Number of buildings by height in Auckland by the end of each year. Click on the legend to toggle a specific height on or off. See or edit chart definition.
1900s–70s
The modernist CAB Building
The title of Auckland's first skyscraper or high-rise has been given to various buildings over time, including the eight-storey Cathedral House on 48–52 Wyndham Street, which dates back to the early 1900s. The neoclassical building sits opposite the Cathedral of St Patrick and St Joseph.[2][3] However, it was not the first "skyscraper" in New Zealand overall, a designation that belongs to the New Zealand Express Company Building in Dunedin.[4]
Another building to be called Auckland's first skyscraper was the Civic Administration Building (now shortened to CAB Building), built in 1966. The twenty-storey tower was comfortably the tallest building in Auckland at the time, and housed the city council from its completion until it left in 2014.[5][6] An example of modernist architecture, it incorporated unique building techniques, such as flexible steel framing, aluminium extrusions, neoprene window seals and ceramic acoustic tiles.[7]
In 1973, the first building in the city to surpass 80 m (262 ft) in height, the Air New Zealand House was completed. Built as the headquarters of Air New Zealand, the country's flag carrier, it dominated the Quay Street cityscape at the time.[8] The building underwent an extensive renovation in 2017, enhancing its sustainability and recladding the exterior, as well as incorporating an InterContinental hotel.[9][10] It is now known as the Deloitte Centre (not to be confused with 80 Queen Street, which was also known under that name). Another notable tower completed in the 1970s was West Tower, a 77 m (253 ft), 18-storey office building. Its "aerofoil form" has been receive favorably, considered a "... part of Auckland’s architectural evolution from big town to a more elegant and sophisticated city".[11]
1980s–1990s
Auckland's skyline in 1995, with the Sky Tower seen under construction
The next two decades would see an uptick in high-rise construction, with commercial skyscrapers increasingly growing in height. The Aon Centre became the tallest building in the Auckland upon completion in 1980s, at 92 m (302 ft) tall. The QBE Centre surpassed it in 1986, becoming the first building to exceed 100 m (328 ft) in height in the city. In 1990s, Crowne Plaza would take the title, becoming the first tallest building in the city to be a hotel tower. A year later, it would lose it to the ANZ Centre, with surpassed the record height considerably at 151 m (495 ft) in height. The tower's upper floors offered panoramic views across Auckland.[12]
Perhaps even more significant to Auckland's skyline, plans for an observation tower arose in the early 1990s, as part of a development for a casino and entertainment complex known as SkyCity.[13] Construction on what became known as the Sky Tower began in 1994 and was finished in 1997. The tower is also used for communication. With a tip reaching 328 m (1,076 ft) tall, the tower is by far the tallest structure on the skyline. Since its completion, Sky Tower has been an iconic landmark on the skyline due to its height and design, attracting an average of 1,150 visitors per day (over 415,000 per year).[14]
2000s–present
The turn of the millennium would see the completion of Auckland's two tallest skyscrapers at the time, Metropolis, which also became the tallest residential building in New Zealand at 155 m (509 ft), and the Vero Centre, the tallest building in New Zealand overall at 170 m (560 ft). Metropolis marked an increase in the number and proportion of residential buildings on the skyline. While it was praised for its style and quality, the NZ$180 million cost of its construction also led to major financial fallout for its developer.[15] Construction on the tallest building outside Auckland's city centre, Sentinel, was completed in 2008 in Takapuna, a northern suburb across the Waitematā Harbour. The idea of having a landmark building in Takapuna was considered favourably when the developer Cornerstone Group first proposed it in 2003.[16] The Great Recession halted high-rise development in the city for a few years until the mid-2010s.
In the mid-2010s, another building boom began in the city centre, adding residential towers such as Queens Residences (2016), Park Residences (2017) and Victoria Residences (2018) to the skyline. Construction on the city's current tallest building, Commercial Bay, began in 2016 and was completed in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic. The skyscraper's anchor tenant is PwC, which gives it its other name of PwC Tower; the pandemic delayed the opening of the building's retail centre. The skyscraper is one of New Zealand's most sustainable high-rise office building and currently holds a 5 Star Green Building and Green Star Design Rating.[17] Also completed in 2020 was The Pacifica, overtaking Metropolis to be New Zealand's tallest residential building. The top two floors of the building contain a penthouse that was originally listed for sale at NZ$40 million, which would have made it the most expensive apartment ever sold in New Zealand.[18] This apartment was later split into four separate units.[19]
The boom continued into the early 2020s with the completion of Voco Hotel and Holiday Inn and 51 Albert, both towers having a hotel component. Commercial Bay was set to be overtaken by the luxury residential skyscraper Seascape, which topped out in 2024 at a height of 187 m (613 ft). However, work on the building paused soon after, and its pointed roof sits unfinished on the skyline.[20][21] The delay has been blamed on contract disputes between the developer, Shundi Customs, and the construction company.[22] With few high-rises under construction as of 2025, some have regarded the recent high-rise boom to be over.[23][24]
Map of tallest buildings
This map displays the location of buildings taller than 100 m (328 ft) in Auckland. Each marker is coloured by the decade of the building's completion. All but one of these buildings are located in the Auckland CBD. The exception is Sentinel, which is located in Takapuna.
220m 240yds
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Buildings taller than 100 m (328 ft) in Auckland. An asterisk (*) next to the building's name indicates it is located outside the map.
This lists ranks skyscrapers and high-rises in Auckland that stand at least 75 m (246 ft) tall, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. The “Year” column indicates the year of completion. Non-inhabitable structures are included for ranking purposes.
Was the tallest building in Auckland upon completion
Not a habitable building; included for comparison purposes. Tallest free-standing structure in New Zealand. The second tallest free-standing structure in the southern hemisphere by pinnacle height. Roof height is 236.5 metres.[25]
Originally the Royal and Sun Alliance tower. Tallest building in New Zealand from 2000 to 2020. Tallest building completed in Auckland in the 2000s[28]
Tallest building in New Zealand between 1999 and 2000, and the tallest residential building in New Zealand between 1999 and 2020.[29] Tallest building completed in Auckland in the 1990s
Formerly The Regent Hotel. Originally built to a height of 11 floors in 1984, an additional 11 floors were added to the hotel in 2008, bringing the total to 22.[59]
Former HSBC Building. Originally was the Air New Zealand House or Air New Zealand building when built. It underwent a renovation in 2024 and now includes a Intercontinental Hotel. Tallest building completed in Auckland in the 1970s[66]
Also known as Telecom Tower, and previously known as Federal Chambers[75]
↑ This height is an estimate from ICON, the construction company. See the building's page on SkycraperCity for further details.
Tallest under construction or proposed
Under construction
As of 2025, there are no high-rises under active construction in Auckland that are expected to be at least 75 (246 ft) tall, based on standard height measurement. The residential development Seascape began construction in 2017 and topped out in 2024, but is currently on hold. It would be the tallest building in Auckland if completed.
Proposed
The following table ranks proposed and approved high-rises in Auckland that are expected to be at least 75 m (246 ft) tall as of 2025, based on standard height measurement. The “Year” column indicates the expected year of completion. A dash “–“ indicates information about the building’s height or year of completion is not available. Buildings whose construction is on hold are also included.
The following table ranks the tallest proposed skyscrapers in Auckland that were ultimately never built. The Height column indicates the indended height of the proposed buildings.
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