Alpine retreat

Creating a luxury apartment and hotelcomplex in Queenstown, a mountain resort which thrives on the majesty of its scenic surrounds, requires a design highly sympathetic to its environment. This was the upmost priority for Koia Architects when conceptualising Pounamu Apartments, the first stage of a project which aims to give the traditional mountain village amodern twist.

Located on an elevated site on the outskirts of the lakeside town, the apartments will cluster around a 125-room, five-star Hilton hotel equipped with conference facilities, indoor swimming pool, health spa and gourmet restaurant.

Tony Koia, principal architect with Koia Architects, says the local landscape provided key inspiration for the apartments' design.

"We played with organic and modern forms, including prominent curved stone walls, and used handmade schist stone cladding to mimic the surrounding natural environment," he says. "The large, wooden, exterior shutters are an integral design element, alluding to traditional European alpine architecture; in addition to providing screening between tenancies and from the road, they offer protection from the weather."

The apartment blocks mark the boundary of the site, their fractured design being a further reference to the jagged local schist stone. Linked to the central hub of the hotel and the site's other communal facilities via walkways, this easy pedestrian access throughout the village fosters a sense of community and inclusion.

The orientation of the apartments, large windows and sliding glass doors make the most of the expansive view. The architects also considered the profile of the complex as viewed from the mountains behind, paying particular attention to the aesthetics of the roofing. A further practical feature was the inclusion of vents to allow extra airflow through each apartment important given Queenstown's heavy annual snowfalls and the likely lock-and-leave usage of the apartments.

Building contractor Naylor Love completed the apartments on deadline and budget, and will be the main contractor for the second stage of larger apartments. Named Pounamu Taumata, this complex will have elevated views, and each unit will have dedicated outdoor space.

"The hard work of Naylor Love and the suppliers has resulted in the successful completion of the first stage of a very exciting project," Koia says.

Story by: Trendsideas