Council officials pan Thiel's Wānaka lodge plans

Lodge will affect 'character and values' of Wānaka (Image: Kengo Kuma)

Tue, 03 May 2022

Queenstown Lakes district council officials oppose US billionaire Peter Thiel’s plans to build a luxury lodge on the shores of Lake Wānaka.The PayPal co-founder and chair of Palantir Technologies applied to the QLDC to develop a luxury lodge and separate owners ‘pod’ for private use on his 193-hectare site at Damper Bay, located near Glendhu Bay.Thiel, a New Zealand citizen since 2011, has owned the site since 2015.Last year, he enlisted Tokyo Olympic Stadium architect Kengo Kuma and Associates to design the boutique lodge.&nb...

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