EYE of the storm

Anvil is the name given to a huge, swirling

flat-topped cumulonimbus cloud formation that appears high in the sky before a thunderstorm.

Dark and angular, the Anvil building designed by Patterson Associates contributes an equally strong character to its Dominion Road environment. One in a series of cloud-themed buildings conceived by the company, it follows the Cumulus commercial building, which won the Supreme NZIA Resene Award for Architecture, and precedes the 6-Star Green Star-rated Geyser building, due to be completed in 2012.

Anvil replaces a dilapidated structure and car park on the high-visibility corner site. The new building comprises ground-floor retail, mid-level car parks and offices on the upper floors. However, It is the spiralling nature of the internal concrete skeleton with carparking ramps turning as they rise up the middle section and the way this is expressed on the planar exterior that gives rise to the name of the building and helps create its bold presence, says Andrew Mitchell, project associate.

"The spiralling floor levels up the building are articulated on the facade as splayed angles. These angles continue to fold around all five external faces. The facade is essentially a unitised curtain wall system which has been cut along these splay lines and manipulated in three dimensions."

The translucent glass not only outlines what is going on inside, it also allows views directly into the structure. Depending on the time of day, and the level of the sun, the offices and car ramps can be seen from the street accentuating the wall planes.

"Anvil works as a cloud metaphor in other ways, too," says Mitchell. "Fritted glass is used at varying intensities up the shifting facade, with a high 90% of granular content in the office levels reducing to 12% at shop level. The effect is much like the edges of a car windscreen, which mitigate the intensity of the sun's rays near the top.

"This not only creates an organic, permeable effect, like looking through a shifting cloud, but it also limits the load on air conditioning, keeping Anvil cool even when the sun is high."

Entry to the offices is most directly via a lift that arrives at an external sky courtyard. It is a common strategy in Pattersons buildings to include a circulation courtyard Geyser has two.

"In the sky courtyard, which opens to views across to Mt Eden and out to the Waitakere Ranges, visitors stroll along gentle ramping planes to reach the office tenancies. The pedestrian experience of Anvil is relaxed and fluid, a continuation of the building's overall ramping circulation strategy," says Mitchell.

In addition, the light, airy courtyard presents a gathering point or outdoor meeting space. A rain and sun canopy ensures it is usable in all weathers.

Office interiors are as honest as their exterior expression. Subtle grey interior finishes combined with exposed concrete forms build on the sense of being inside a high, brooding storm cloud. In terms of layout, centralised service pods contain the kitchenette and toilet areas on all five office levels, allowing for unimpeded views across the city and suburbs. This arrangement also allows for the almost vertiginous experience of walking right up to window planes that lean in or out.

Eye-catching aesthetics aside, Pattersons designed Anvil for flexibility. The pod concept means tenancies can be reconfigured or subdivided without undue difficulty. The spiral car park amenity directly below is another drawcard for tenants.

Anvil also gets involved with its setting. The longest side faces north, taking in the best views. Its angled glass faces reflect the sky or the passing traffic, depending on your perspective.

Story by: Charles Moxham