Sweeping curve - Unicast Cladding Systems built and installed a sloping, curved wall for the new Audi terminal

To give impact to its showroom, a sloping, curved wall is the first feature on display when visitors to the Audi Terminal step inside a wall inspired by the steeply banked race tracks of the 1950s.

Unicast Cladding Systems was asked by the project architect if it could build a wall incorporating a 60° slope and a 1000mm radiused coving. This wall, which forms a highly visible feature in the new showroom and is referred to as the embankment, is a standard element in all new Audi dealerships worldwide. Made by Unicast from Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete (GRC), the wall is formed in complex geometry and is positioned such that it is exposed to early morning and late afternoon sun, which reflects along the length of the wall, highlighting any imperfections.

David Romanes of Unicast says that the quality of the finish that his company achieved was so high that both the building owner and Audi representatives from Germany commented that it was the best example they had seen in the world. "The dimensional stability of GRC means it will stay that way," says Romanes.

The ability of GRC to produce complex geometric, free-flowing curves and high quality surfaces has led to it being adopted by well-known architects such as Foster and Partners and Zaha Hadid. Capital Hill, a residential project outside Moscow designed by Zaha Hadid, won the GRCA International Outstanding Project Award at its recent International Congress.UNICAST CLADDING SYSTEMS

PO Box 2061, Stortford Lodge, Hastings 4153Phone (06) 879 8399 Fax (06) 879 8395www.unicast.co.nz bryan@unicast.co.nz

Story by: Trendsideas