DATAMINE LAUNCH PARTY.
The Mayor makes his mark in Parnell.
A disused railway signal box and its neighbouring substation building on The Strand in Parnell has just received a makeover, thanks to new tenant, Datamine, New Zealand’s leading data mining organisation.
“While we pride ourselves on setting trends in our industry, our guiding principles hark back to the past and the longevity this old building has in strength and style suits us as a company. The character, space, high ceilings and just the interesting feel it gives us has made the hard work renovating it worthwhile,” says Datamine founder Paul O’Connor.
Built around 1930, the signal box was known as ‘A’ Box and it controlled the signals for the district trains. A smaller ‘B’ Box was used nearby for the smaller freight-shunting yard. The substation building was built a couple of years later.
Datamine has kept the original features but has enhanced the look of the property by removing unsightly graffiti and reinstating previously concreted over windows to bring in natural light that gives the office all day sunshine.
The rail theme runs throughout the building with even the toilets named as Thomas or Henry and Clarabel or Annie as a nod to the famous tank engines. ‘The Gap’ is now a meeting room that joins the two buildings, as well as a kitchen for staff.
Some of the brass switches and levers that were used when the box was a pneumatic signal control box are used as architectural features in the foyer and the original mimic panel will be reinstalled at reception. Steel grills accent stairways and balconies to give an industrial feel to the interior.
“The ‘A’ Box was a technology highpoint in Rail,” says Ontrack’s Property Development Manager Mark Baylis, who worked with Blue Pencil on the architectural design and construction. “So, I think it would be happy with its new tenants and their technological bent.”
The buildings have been abandoned for the last ten years and were in need of some serious repairs, as well as the benefit of having CTV cameras installed and people in the buildings to deter the unwanted groups tagging the walls. “ONTRACK would probably not have upgraded the building until further development in the area for fear of the site not being attractive due to its secluded location,” says Baylis.
“While we pride ourselves on setting trends in our industry, our guiding principles hark back to the past and the longevity this old building has in strength and style suits us as a company. The character, space, high ceilings and just the interesting feel it gives us has made the hard work renovating it worthwhile,” says Datamine founder Paul O’Connor.
Built around 1930, the signal box was known as ‘A’ Box and it controlled the signals for the district trains. A smaller ‘B’ Box was used nearby for the smaller freight-shunting yard. The substation building was built a couple of years later.
Datamine has kept the original features but has enhanced the look of the property by removing unsightly graffiti and reinstating previously concreted over windows to bring in natural light that gives the office all day sunshine.
The rail theme runs throughout the building with even the toilets named as Thomas or Henry and Clarabel or Annie as a nod to the famous tank engines. ‘The Gap’ is now a meeting room that joins the two buildings, as well as a kitchen for staff.
Some of the brass switches and levers that were used when the box was a pneumatic signal control box are used as architectural features in the foyer and the original mimic panel will be reinstalled at reception. Steel grills accent stairways and balconies to give an industrial feel to the interior.
“The ‘A’ Box was a technology highpoint in Rail,” says Ontrack’s Property Development Manager Mark Baylis, who worked with Blue Pencil on the architectural design and construction. “So, I think it would be happy with its new tenants and their technological bent.”
The buildings have been abandoned for the last ten years and were in need of some serious repairs, as well as the benefit of having CTV cameras installed and people in the buildings to deter the unwanted groups tagging the walls. “ONTRACK would probably not have upgraded the building until further development in the area for fear of the site not being attractive due to its secluded location,” says Baylis.
Rating: 7/10
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