New Zealand Commercial Design Trends Series NZ Commercial Design Trends Vol. 30/12 | Page 61

Left:A large opening in the
mezzanine floor of the Strange
& Co bar is lined with blackened
steel.
Below left:Materials recycled
from demolished Christchurch
houses feature in the Orleans
restaurant.
Below:The oval concrete
cylinder forming the main
structural support for the
Strange’s building creates a
raw, industrial backdrop for the
Nucleus bar.
Below right:On the upper
levels the same concrete core
accommodates service facilities
for the office tenancies.
Story by Colleen Hawkes
Photography by Jamie Cobel

ground, referencing the old brick arch that was the
entry to the original building,” says the architect.
“It creates a portal between the street environment
and the laneway. It also adds a little drama and a
sense of theatre, and it is lined with timber, just like
the interior of the bars that follow.”
Two of the bars have mezzanine levels, including
one with two large oval openings edged with
blackened raw steel.
“There are four of these large oval holes in two
mezzanine floors,” says van der Lingen. “They
were a novel way to ensure the floor area of the
mezzanine levels remained under the maximum
coverage allowed. The blackened steel imparts the
semi-industrial look we wanted, and the oval shape
echoes the form of the oval support column.”
Tom Newfield, operations manager for Britomart
Hospitality Group, the owner of the Orleans, Lower
9th Diner and Strange & Co venues in the Strange’s
building says his business benefits from the synergy created by the laneway courtyard.
“We have been open for just two months and
although the CBD is still a barren wasteland, the
venue is drawing people back into the city. There
is a gathering of momentum and energy