One
in the centre
of waterfront
Auckland

Barrington Building and Old Sofrana House, 10–12 Customs Street East and 14-18 Customs Street East.

Barrington Building and Old Sofrana House, 10–12 Customs Street East and 14-18 Customs Street East

Currently closed for refurbishment, the Barrington and Sofrana Buildings were designed as warehouses to serve Auckland’s increasingly busy port. Both buildings were designed by architect John Currie; construction on Sofrana House began at the end of the 19th century for P. Hayman & Co, a firm that dealt in jewellery, crockery, musical instruments, stationery, saddlery and household items. The Barrington Building, opened in 1905 and now a Category Two Historic Place, was leased by Gustav Kronfeld, a German fruit and produce merchant who came to New Zealand from Samoa and developed trade between Auckland and the Pacific Islands.