Top five commercial projects of 2019
A denser take on urban housing, an out-of-this-world office space and a capitol-city seismic wonder all make up some of the most liked, shared and read commercial projects on ArchitectureNow this year.
1. Wilderness for the wealthy: The Lindis
Architecture Workshop’s much-awarded Ahuriri Valley retreat is truly a delight for the senses. Here, Architecture New Zealand editor Chris Barton delves into the building’s rippling roof and captivating site.
2. The third place: Tūranga
While we talked a lot about the exterior of Christchurch’s new central library, it was the interiors that drew an audience this year. Harry Potter-esque intersecting stairs, flexible spaces and outdoor terraces are just a few of the thoughtful touches by designers Architectus and Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects.
3. Customhouse chameleon: XXCQ tower
A new addition to the capitol’s skyline, this project takes the very best of seismically-stable building technology and wraps it in an aesthetically appealing façade. Studio Pacific Architecture collaborated with with Dunning Thornton Consultants and eCubed to create this 14-storey base-isolated feat.
4. Happily mewed up: Wynyard Central
The winner of the 2019 Sir Ian Athfield Award for Housing at the New Zealand Architecture Awards, this Architectus project provides a much needed, denser look at Auckland’s housing. Featuring green roof landscaping and a mix of typologies round out this new Wynyard Quarter staple.
5. Ground control: Rocket Lab
The interiors for this Auckland headquarters are nothing if not transportative. Designgroup Stapleton Elliott used dark surfaces and red LED lighting to make an inticing entry portal and public viewing platform, as well as meeting strict technical needs in the lab space.