MYARCHIMEDIA archimedia THE PROJECT WAS SECURED IN AN INVITED COMPETITION. ARCHIMEDIA FOLLOWED ITS PROPRIETARY DESIGN PROCESS, RESEARCHING THE HISTORY OF THE SITE, UNDERTAKING A FEASIBILITY / FAR ANALYSIS, PRODUCING SUN- SHADING STUDIES TO PROTECT FREYBERG PLACE; AND WORKED WITH LEADING ARTISTS, URBAN DESIGNERS AND TOWN PLANNING PROFESSIONALS TO INTERPRET THE CLIENT’S BRIEF. ARCHIMEDIA RECOGNISED THAT SHORTLAND STREET IS THE PREMIER ESTABLISHED OFFICE ADDRESS IN THE CITY AND PROPOSED A MIXED USE TOWER INCLUDING BOTH 1500m2 WORKPLACE FLOORPLATES AND HIGH-END APARTMENTS, ANCHORED BY A POWERFUL ANTHROPOMORPHIC IDEA TO ENDOW THE TOWER WITH SPECIFIC, LOCAL IDENTITY. ▪ THE TOWER FORM SYMBOLISES HUMAN OCCUPATION OF THE ISTHMUS, STANDING AS A “FIGURE” WITHIN THE URBAN CITYSCAPE, ADDRESSING THE ENTRANCE TO THE WAITEMATA AND THE PACIFIC OCEAN TO THE NORTH-EAST ▪ THE FIGURE IS ARTICULATED BY A FIGURATIVE GLASS “CLOAK” OR KAKAHU ENCLOSING THE SOUTH AND WEST QUADRANTS, WITH OPEN BALCONIES FACING THE NORTHEAST VIEW ▪ THE KAKAHU IS ANIMATED AT LARGE SCALE BY A SENSE OF “WEAVING” AND AT SMALL SCALE BY A WHITE FRIT IN A MOTIF OF ABSTRACTED FEATHERS ▪ THE TOWER IS A MIXED USE PROJECT WITH BASEMENT CAR PARKING, RETAIL, HOSPITALITY, WORKPLACE AND RESIDENTIAL ACTIVITIES ▪ THE TOWER SITS IN A “SOCKET” IN THE PODIUM WHICH VISUALLY SUPPORTS IT ▪ THE PODIUM STRADDLES THE ORIGINAL FORESHORE LINE AND IS ANIMATED BY OPERABLE SCREENS ON FORT STREET, AND BY A LIGHT-FILTERING TRAVERTINE SCREEN ON SHORTLAND STREET ▪ THE PODIUM HAS DEEP INCISIONS ALIGNED WITH O’CONNELL STREET AND COMMERCE STREET, SUGGESTING THE INTERNAL STREET THAT LINKS THEM, COMPLETING AN URBAN PATHWAY FROM ALBERT PARK TO THE WAITEMATA ▪ THE SIGHTLINE TO THE WAITEMATA FROM SHORTLAND AND O’CONNELL STREETS IS PRESERVED THROUGH THIS INTERNAL LANEWAY ▪ THE INTERNAL STREET HAS A QUALITY OF LIGHT RECALLING HISTORIC AUCKLAND ARCADES. NATURAL LIGHT IS REFLECTED OFF A SHALLOW POOL ON THE PODIUM ROOF GARDEN AND INTO THE VOID ABOVE THE STREET BELOW. www.archimedia.co.nz THE STAR TOWER / 28 SHORTLAND STREET AUTUMN 2017