New Zealand Commercial Design Trends Series NZ Commercial Design Trends Vol. 33/04C | Page 34

Project
PwC Centre
Location:
Christchurch
Architect:
Warren and Mahoney
RESPECTFULLY YOURS
A prime inner-city site, eye-catching fritted-glass facade, roomy, versatile floor plates and green
credentials make the PwC Centre an elegant pointer to Christchurch’s future prosperity
The right location may not be everything but
it’s an excellent head start for a forward-looking
office building – particularly when it comes in the
form of a prominent Christchurch inner-city site
defined by the banks of the Avon River and looking
to the iconic Bridge of Remembrance beyond.
Essentially, the PwC Centre, by architectural
practice Warren and Mahoney, enjoys a pivotal
gateway position between the Christchurch inner-
city and the Botanical Gardens, and is also in close
proximity to the Entertainment + Hospitality and
Retail Precincts to the east.
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And the six-level building’s architecture is respect-
ful of the high quality location, even in its cladding.
Warren and Mahoney’s project principal
Jonathan Coote says the form of the building is
both about standing out and fitting in.
“The stepping of the facade along the street
frontage creates a series of distinctive planes that
are in keeping with the grain of an inner city block.
“The angled planes also help to reduce the visual
impact of an extended flat facade, without losing
the drama offered by a building with a long frontage.”
One requirement of the developer was to avoid
Previous pages and below:The
PwC Centre is nearly 100m long,
but having the frit glass and
metal panel facade designed in
angled planes lessens its bulk
visually. Similarly, the tapering
east end downplays the centre’s
scale when viewed from the river
and Botanic Gardens.
Facing page:The building is set
on a raised 1m-high concrete
base to counter water damage
should The Avon river flood.