New Zealand Commercial Design Trends Series NZ Commercial Design Trends Vol. 30/12 | Page 104

IT’S A WRAP The curved toughened glass balustrade that wraps around the large spiral staircase in the BP Head Office was built by Glasshape – to a tight timeframe The dramatic sculptural staircase in the centre of the new BP Head Office in Auckland is a key feature of the fit-out by Unispace. But it’s not just about aesthetics – the steel, glass and timber staircase is the central connecting element in the office, linking different business units and providing opportunities for staff interaction. Glasshape worked with Unispace and Woods Glass to realise the challenging concept within an extremely short timeframe. Ken Ware of Glasshape says this meant precision work and painstaking co-ordination were essential. “The team had just 40 days from acceptance to completion of the project,” Ware says. “This timeframe included CAD modelling of the staircase, manufacture and installation.” Glasshape manufactured the irregular-shaped 15mm toughened curved glass balustrade, which is 96 search | save | share at trendsideas.com wrapped by decorative bent and shaped timber and acrylic elements. “Highly accurate 3-D computer models and shop drawings were created, which enabled suppliers to work closely,” says Ware. “This ensured all the elements could be assembled seamlessly on site.” Glasshape, which operates an ISO 9001 accredited facility, manufactured the glass to Australian Safety Standard AS/NZS 2208. For further information, contact Glasshape, 65-67 Woodcocks Rd, PO Box 358, Warkworth 0910, phone [phone], fax [phone]. Email: [email protected]. Or visit the website: www.glasshape.co.nz save & share 46109 at trendsideas.com Above:Glasshape manufactured the irregular-shaped 15mm curved glass balustrading for the staircase in the BP offices.