GIMME SHELTER

THERE'S NO getting away from it, Auckland gets more than its fair share of rain. Surprisingly enough however, up until now Auckland City hasn't had a covered arena to encourage fans off the sofa, and bands and sports teams into the heart of the city.

Positioned about as close to the Waitemata Harbour as you could possibly manage without taking a dip, the Vector Arena has changed all that. Keeping the punters warm and dry is a priority, and to do so Peddle Thorp Architects specified a Dimond roof, which was installed with considerable skill by Clark Roofing.

"Having been involved in almost all stadium projects in New Zealand, including Telstra Clear Pacific Events Centre, Jade Stadium and Waikato Stadium, Dimond had the required depth of experience to successfully complete this project," says Dimond's Scott Townsend.

"In this case, the main roof consists of two elliptical, tilted planes. The challenges, which were all successfully overcome, resulted from the arena's height, the roof's angle and the length of the sheets to be installed," he says.

The roof features Dimondek 630 concealed fixed roofing in Colorcote ZRX the only product in New Zealand that met the architect's specific requirements. With sheets up to 47.5m, it was necessary to manufacture the sheets using the Dimondek 630 on-site manufacturing unit. Other Dimond profiles, such as Brownbuilt 900, Corrugate and V-Rib, were used at the ends of the structure, and under the eaves, for contrast.

For more details, contact Dimond, phone 0800 Dimond. Website: www.dimond.co.nz. For Clark Roofing, contact John Matheson, phone (09) 579 9483.

Story by: Dimond