Il Casino Site To Become Up-Market Development

Il Casino Site To Become Up-Market Development
 

Remiro Bresolin’s former Il Casino restaurant, which was known as Wellington’s ‘most Italian of restaurants’, is to be transformed into an up-market residential development to be called ‘Appartamento Il Casino’.

The development, on the corner of Tory and Jessie Streets, will have up to 31 apartments over nine floors. Occupying the ground floor there will be a specialist café and possibly a restaurant, and ample resident parking.

Stephen McDougall, director of leading architectural practice Studio of Pacific Architecture, has designed the development which will retain the well-known original Tory Streetfaçade of the restaurant. The development is being undertaken by award-winning Wellingtoncompany, Globe Holdings.

Globe Holdings director Andrew Fawcet says, “We sought permission to use the restaurant’s name and Remiro Bresolin graciously gave us his blessing before he passed away in March 2007. This has enabled the development to preserve a little of Wellington’s history and the memories associated with Remiro and his restaurant.”

The apartments, planned to rise above the façade, will comprise a mix of one bedroom and two bedroom dwellings, some with a study, and on the upper levels, three and four bedroom apartments with a study. The two bedroom and three bedroom apartments will have two bathrooms and generous balconies.

“Our desire was for a building with more personality and character than that found in other contemporary apartment blocks. The brief to our architects was to create a building that would continue as a landmark and contribute something to the City; time will tell whether we’ve succeeded, but we’re confident that this will be the best development that Globe has embarked upon to date,” Mr Fawcet said.

The apartments will be highly specified with chef’s kitchens, floor to ceiling windows, heated bathroom floors, timber decks and walk-in or built in wardrobes. The living and dining areas of each apartment will feature reverse cycle ceiling mounted air conditioning. Security features will include deadlocks on apartment entry doors, access care entry from street level with intercom access for visitors and video capability to an internal MATV system.

Car parking will be provided for by way of a state-of-the-art fully automated car stacker, with secure parking over 40 cars.

Two of Globe Holdings’ recent developments, The Summit Apartments on Molesworth Streetand the Courtyard houses which form part of The Waterfront Seatoun, have achieved recognition by winning the Wellington NZ Institute of Architects (NZIA) Resene Awards for Architecture in 2006. The Summit Apartments also won the NZIA 2006 Resene Colour Award.

Globe Holdings has previously been recognised by a Year of the Built Environment Award for The Waterfront Seatoun, the NZIA 2003 Wellington Urban Design Award for The Waterfront Seatoun’s masterplan, and an NZIA Resene Local Award for Architecture for its Croxley Mills development on Frederick Street, Wellington.

The Appartamento Il Casino development will be marketed by leading Wellingtonreal estate agency Tommy’s in conjunction with Globe Holdings.

“We envisage that Appartamento Il Casino will appeal to owner-occupiers who want to enjoy high quality inner-city living without compromise. The design provides great indoor/outdoor flow making the most of natural light and the city landscape while the security features enable owners to lock and leave their home without worry, while they are away on business or out of town. This will result in considerable interest from those who need a central Wellingtonresidence during the week but might have a holiday home in the Wairarapa or further afield,” Mr Fawcet said.

ENDS

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