Construction
The heritage building known as Queens Arcade was originally built in three parts, from the early 1900’s to 1929. The “south arcade” to Queen Street began as two separate buildings with a brick separating wall. The building at 34 – 40 Queen Street was designed by architects Blomfield & Hunt and built by Fletcher Construction Ltd in 1929. The 5 level office building on Customs St was also built by Fletchers for the present owners Davis Properties Limited. The three buildings were amalgamated into one in November 1929.

Official civic records note Queens Arcade and its façade to Queen St, as “symbolic of the Georgian period”, with bronze ballustrading, white marble and crested pillars.

Queens Arcade was later closed in 1980 for a $1.5+ million alteration, including the removal of the office levels above 34 – 40 Queen Street. In its place a stunning glazed atrium was formed, designed by Swann Railley Paterson Architects, and which is now a prominent feature of the shopping centre.

Tenants
Queens Arcade’s tenants over the decades have ranged from distinguished to notorious.

• Fisher & Paykel opened is first operations on the mezzanine in 1934, importing and selling the first automatic washing machines in New Zealand.
• The top floor housed a billiards room, of which Maurice Paykel and Woolf (later Sir Woolf) Fisher were said to be regular visitors.
• Securitibank, a prominent merchant bank was a tenant from the 1960’s until its well publicised collapse in the 70’s.
• Marbecks, Auckland’s iconic music retailer first established in the arcade in 1932, and remains a tenant today.
• T Clark’s shoes commenced with separate ladies and men’s shoe stores in 1962. The mens’ shoe store continues to operate from its location at the Customs Street entrance.
• Pure Dance was established in the 1950’s and has a nationwide reputation as a premium stockist of all types of dancing shoes and attire.
• Many other current retailers have been tenants for over 20 years, offering specialist services to customers far and wide.