Bright lights, big city

There is nothing quite like quality food to facilitate good conversation, which is why one of the most essential areas of a large conference venue is its kitchen.

At Sky City, BSW Architects, formerly Booth Sweetman Wolfe, designed a kitchen in which 2000 meals can be served in a maximum of 25 minutes, says kitchen design consultant Richard Hannam.

There are two kitchens on two floors. These are open plan, with a U-shaped production area beside the food serving area. Cool rooms and freezers are immediately adjacent. Both kitchens are linked by two large service lifts to other floors and by a bridge to the main casino kitchen.

"An efficient layout enabled us to fit a large amount of equipment and the service areas into the limited space available," says Hannam.

Food production is closely monitored as all ovens, cool rooms and freezers are linked to a computer in the head chef's office.

When the 2000 meals are eaten, a sophisticated dishwashing system enables all crockery and glass to be completely cleaned and dried in two hours.

For more information, contact BSW Architects, PO Box 2588, Shortland St, 127 Vincent St, Auckland, phone (09) 303 1273, fax (09) 379 2359.

Story by: Trendsideas