Te Kaitaka – The Cloak | Auckland, New Zealand | 2014
[Fearon Hay Architects]
Te Kaitaika ‘The Cloak’ has been established in the heart of the growing urban environment at Auckland International Airport.
A sculptural built form is sited on the corner of two recently upgraded streets, one heavily traffic based & one focussed on the pedestrian. The functional brief was simple – a flexible space for hosting events, meetings & introducing the strategy & opportunities behind the developing precinct. Beyond these functional requirements, the brief was aspirational – the architecture should demonstrate opportunities for innovative design & sustainable operation.
The response used the freedom of its scale to explore sculptural & structural directions & brings together rich layering of material, texture & form to express cultural & national values.
A contoured living green roof is established over a shaped engineered timber frame, this shape providing the shoulders from which an encircling & distinctive woven mesh screen forms Te Kaitaka – The Cloak
The architecture is a combination of readily available construction approaches, layered with a degree of craft & legible materiality to showcase New Zealand sustainable design, materials, & innovation. Text description by the architects | Visit www.theradicalproject.com to read more about the project.
