New Zealand Commercial Design Trends Series NZ Commercial Design Trends Vol. 30/12 | Page 20

Mitchell equates the building to a 3-D jigsaw puzzle of interlocking forms, with deep fissures and skylights designed to bring natural light deep down into the interior. “It’s a fairly square site, and subsequently a square building, but one of the walls on the front elevation is pushed back from the street to allow natural light to penetrate the teaching spaces on the lower levels,” the architect says. “The wall on the opposite side of the entry curves around towards the door, so it feeds visitors into the building. Pulling the facade back from the street, and introducing the curved wall was also a way to give the building a sculptural form.” The gallery is the same height as the heritage building, and features a similar band across the top of the flat-roofed street elevation. Mitchell says the choice of cladding was long debated, and resource consent was gained for the use of green, pre-patinated copper, which has a lifespan of 200 years. “However, cost considerations, and a potential problem with guarantees for the aluminium joinery that would have abutted the copper meant we needed to look for a different, but similar alternative. We chose pre-painted aluminium folded in the traditional European manner. It has a tile-like look with a stippled, textural finish. This was never Below left and right:A glazed curtainwall on the southern elevation is angled to provide a sense of drama. The wall encloses a staff staircase. Below:Floorplans of the upper three levels highlight the varying sizes of the gallery spaces. Stairs to Lopdell House roof terrace GALLERY 4 GALLERY 2 GALLERY 5 below GALLERY 3 GALLERY 2 SHOP COATS ENTRY RECEPTION LIFT GALLERY 1 18 search | save | share at trendsideas.com