A Woods Bagot design has been selected for a new 180m tall high-rise in Auckland.

Auckland's mayor says a 180m tall high-rise planned for Federal St will become a city landmark.

ICD Property will build a $200 million skyscraper at 65 Federal Street, adjacent to the city's iconic Sky Tower.

The Australian company selected a winner in its international design competition to build the company's first iconic high-rise at the Auckland CBD site.

SUPPLIED The high-rise will stand near Auckland's iconic Sky Tower.

Australian architecture firm Wood Bagot and local partner Peddle Thorp were the victors with their idea for a multi-use high-rise with 226 apartments, 233 five-star hotel rooms, a ground floor market place and a sky-high public zen garden.

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SUPPLIED Curved timber is a big part of the building's design at ground-level.

Mayor Phil Goff said the building would become "a landmark for the city" when the building was completed in 2022.

Woods Bagot principal Pete Miglis said there was an emphasis on public access from the street level right up to the building's roof-top Zen Garden with 360-degree views of Auckland.

"We know that the skyline defines a city's identity, yet it is the streets – where people inhabit the city – that define its character."

The building will be 48 storeys tall, its exterior will look crystalline but curved timber will be used extensively on the lower-floors of the building a homage to two nearby civic structures the Auckland Art Gallery and Auckland Museum.

Julie Stout, an architect who was on ICD's selection panel said the building would contribute to a huge growth in foot traffic around Federal St that was expected over the next 10 years with the opening of the International Convention Centre and the City Rail Link.

"There is going to be a flood of people into that area and Federal St will be a terrific laneway street and this building will create an interesting community building."

SUPPLIED Auckland Mayor Phil Goff says the building will become a city landmark.

The company launched the competition between the five architecture firms in July.

It encouraged them to abandon "black and white" planning rules to create a design statement in the centre of the city.

At an event in June contending companies, which included New Zealand's Warren & Mahoney along with Zaha Hadid, Elenberg Fraser and Cox Architecture made their pitches available to the public.

SUPPLIED One design submitted to the design competition had a 'sky garden' located in the middle of its skyscraper.

They included a 25m tall native forest, a sky garden and telescopic lifts that would transport people from the ground floor directly to their door.

Matthew Khoo, deputy managing director of ICD property, said he hoped the company would be able to build all five designs one day.

"This is really how you extract great design for a city and for its people," he said.

"What this is going to bring to Auckland is a real conversation, to say, 'We can achieve better for the city.'"