Heritage

Bluestone wall

The project is committed to preserving and protecting culture, heritage and local character while it builds the CRL. This includes the protection of historic buildings as well as respecting and recording archaeological discoveries

Bluestone wall deconstruction

Work started in November 2020 to temporarily remove one of Auckland's oldest pieces of road construction in order to make room for the project. The 140-year-old bluestone wall along the eastern side of Albert Street has been shifted block by block out of the way of CRL construction. The historic wall is built from local material - basalt, also known as bluestone - and was erected on the eastern side of Albert Street between Wyndham and Victoria streets in 1881. The wall's underground public toilet was one of the city's first. The wrought iron railings, piers and the ornamental arch over the stairs on the side of the wall are some of Auckland's last remaining examples of street furniture dating back to the Victorian age. Dismantling the wall has taken three months. Stonemasons cut it into 1,800 separate blocks, numbered each block and stored them safely off-site until the wall can be rebuilt in 2023 as part of urban realm improvements when the station tunnel box below has been built. When the wall is re-erected, it will have moved one metre further east - towards Queen Street - from its original location. This is due to the size of the tunnel and Aotea Station. The public toilet will not re-open, however, the wrought iron railings and ornamental arch will be incorporated into a maintenance access entry required for CRL.

Careful deconstruction of bluestone wall underway