Like to live it large? Rent a city cupboard

Meet the "corporate crash pad". It's a new concept in inner-city living which is either Auckland's coming of age, or just another reason for the rest of the country to mock the Queen City.

Europe calls this a pied a terre - a lodging for occasional or secondary use. The studios are somewhere to stay when you need to sleep in the city for a week or a year.

The upmarket, inner-city apartment tower looks like the futuristic building in the Michael Crichton book Sliver, made into a film starring Sharon Stone.

It spans 7.5 metres at its widest point and is 60m high. Into it, 144 rooms have been built over 18 floors and are up for rent - for $220 a week at the cheapest and $295 a week with expenses - water, power and internet access - covered. There is a minimum stay of one week.

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