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Chow:Hill Architects' design for Claudelands references the ecological and cultural history of the site

External view of Hamilton's Claudlands Arena. architecture, building, commercial building, convention center, corporate headquarters, facade, headquarters, metropolitan area, mixed use, real estate, sky, structure, blue — External view of Hamilton's Claudlands Arena.

External view of Hamilton's Claudlands Arena. - External architecture, building, commercial building, convention center, corporate headquarters, facade, headquarters, metropolitan area, mixed use, real estate, sky, structure, blue

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Conference room at Claudlands Arena in Hamilton. - architecture, auditorium, ceiling, conference hall, convention center, function hall, interior design, gray, black

External View of Claudlands Arena in Hamilton. - architecture, building, commercial building, convention center, corporate headquarters, facade, headquarters, metropolitan area, mixed use, real estate, sky, sport venue, structure, blue

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View of tiered seating area in Hamitlon's Claudlands architecture, auditorium, ceiling, daylighting, facade, interior design, light, lighting, line, material, performing arts center, wall, window, window covering, wood, brown, orange

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Meeting the client's ambitious strategic and functional goals was embraced as a key objective for the architects of the Claudelands project. Anthony Flannery, director of Chow:Hill Architects, says Hamilton City Council had commissioned a state-of-the-art events centre that would meet best-practice standards in terms of integrated event management, acoustics, and environmental sustainability.

As a multipurpose facility, Claudelands needed to have an arena, conference centre and exhibition hall with the versatility to function independently or be combined for large events.

"Chow:Hill's objective was to meet the client's goals within the defined budget, with a design that weaves in the ecological and cultural history of the site," says Flannery. "This had to be a world-class events centre that would be unique to Hamilton, and the most sustainable events centre in Australasia."

Flannery says the company took inspiration from the location, which was originally named Te Papanui, or bird square, due to the large numbers of indigenous wood pigeons and other birds that once occupied the kahikatea bush on site.

Large room in Claudlands Arena, Hamilton. architecture, ceiling, daylighting, floor, infrastructure, line, structure, gray, black — Large room in Claudlands Arena, Hamilton.

"An intricate exterior veil of solar shading louvres, coloured window film and angled columns features on the north and west concourses. This evokes an image of birds in flight as they migrate in large flocks. The detailing also filters natural light into the public concourse, reducing solar heat gain."

The solar shading louvres are folded aluminium box sections, powdercoated in a variety of colours inspired by the plumage of the native wood pigeon. Horizontal bands of translucent coloured window film further animate the interior concourses with the hues of other native birds. The slender, angled steel columns represent the Toa poles once used to hunt these birds, while the taller concrete columns reference the native trees of the Te Papanui forest.

Architectural team leader Colin MacKillop says the acoustic design maximises the auditory quality within the centre, while minimising noise breakout to the surrounding areas.

"The acoustic design was integrated into the interior finishes, with durable, inexpensive materials, which were detailed to express the design narrative. There are MDF slotted panels and horizontal terracotta battens fixed over black-faced acoustic insulation and mechanical duct openings. The terracotta references the iron oxide pigment in the local wetlands, which was used by the original Maori inhabitants to colour their woven textiles."