IKEA Auckland

IKEA Auckland is New Zealand’s first store and represents one of the nation’s most significant retail developments. The store’s expansive 34,000 square metre floor area is designed to accommodate nearly 6,000 people and provides over 500 jobs, supporting substantial local economic growth.

Jensen Hughes were appointed as fire engineer and passive fire design consultant for the project. The building’s vast scale required a fire engineering approach that met both the New Zealand Building Code and IKEA’s global performance criteria. The resulting solution is highly resilient, supporting one of the region’s largest retail venues.

Jensen Hughes delivered a performance based fire engineering design, navigating challenges such as complex internal configurations, restricted site boundaries, and integration of an automated storage and retrieval system. Addressing these factors demanded in depth analysis and bespoke solutions, leveraging international research and IKEA’s rigorous internal requirements.

The project required comprehensive engagement with authorities, including Fire and Emergency New Zealand, to secure acceptance of the fire safety approach. Early and sustained collaboration was crucial in establishing agreement on fire engineering criteria and effective firefighting measures for the development.

Our responsibilities also included delivering coordinated passive fire solutions for the store. By utilising BIM models, we designed passive fire solutions which integrated across the market hall, showroom, warehouse and back of house areas, facilitating efficient teamwork with the broader design team and greater clarity during construction.

The resulting fire engineering solution provides IKEA with a robust, operationally efficient design that enables safe customer movement, clear evacuation routes, and appropriate fire protection across the building. This project sets a benchmark for how performance based engineering, regulatory partnerships, and digital coordination can deliver value in large scale, complex retail environments.