Recreation quarter

Designing an extension to a retail centre built more than 30 years ago is something of a balancing act. Should the extension merge with the old, or strike out in a new design direction?

Rod Marler, Westfield's general manager of design, was faced with this choice when the company extended its Westfield Manukau City retail centre by 25%, to accommodate a new 10-screen SkyCity cinema, restaurants, stores and car park.

"We considered how the new design could be contemporary and fresh, but still integrate with the existing centre," he says. "We wanted people to experience a lighter, brighter, more energised space, and to notice the new shops and signage. The architecture couldn't overrule the retail experience."

With an emphasis on indoor-outdoor flow, the exterior incorporates walkways shaded by timber pergolas, feature paving, and canopies to protect restaurant patrons. The extension also reflects the area's landforms and Pacific culture, with local iwi representatives invited to review the creative designs.

Precast feature panels echo the texture and colour of local sedimentary rocks, and the timber elements reflect the woven patterns of Maori basket making. Local students' artwork, selected from a competition held by Westfield, is incorporated in the interior, with the winning entry displayed on the exterior facade.

Visually, the stand-out design feature is the entrance, says Marler.

"The grand entrance, flooded with natural light, is the thing that strikes everyone as they approach it really creates a sense of civic space," he says.

The entrance also demonstrates the main ESD elements of this project energy use and air conditioning.

"We wanted to reduce mechanical air conditioning by reducing solar gain, which is one reason we chose clerestory windows rather than skylights. The amount of daylight through the glazed entrance and clerestory windows also means that we can reduce the amount of supplementary lighting."

For more information, contact Westfield New Zealand, PO Box 109 280, Newmarket, phone (09) 978 5050, fax (09) 978 5070. Website: www.westfield.com.

Story by: Trendsideas