LynnMall seismic upgrade

LynnMall is New Zealand’s first shopping centre, servicing Auckland’s western suburbs since it opened in 1963. We completed seismic strengthening works in Zone D, the oldest part of the centre, incorporating 35 retail tenancies, parts of the mall concourse, and back of house areas.

The work included ground anchor installations in the foundations, steel portal installations, strengthening of existing structural elements and installation of bracing elements in the roof structure, demolishing and re-building walls and ceilings, replacing services and completing fitouts. We also strengthened and replaced a large area of the roof, working under a massive, shrink-wrapped scaffold tent.

We installed custom scaffold structures to maintain access and temporarily relocated services to ensure the mall could stay open, often working overnight to minimise disruption. Removing a 25-metre-long, 7-metre-tall double brick wall was a particular achievement. It started as an external wall but ended up dividing two tenancies as the mall expanded and was identified as a seismic risk. We installed a temporary timber framed inter-tenancy wall and relocated the retailer’s racking in a mammoth overnight session, then demolished the brick wall and installed a metal stud replacement.

With scope changes, lockdowns and unexpected discoveries that required major re-thinks, we were on site for much longer than expected. A key aspect of the project was staying in close contact with the centre and retailers, ensuring that everyone was kept in the loop. We finished the work after 4½ years, completing the project defect free and maintaining an excellent safety record and a great relationship with the client throughout.