New Zealand Commercial Design Trends Series NZ Commercial Design Trends Vol. 35/02C | Page 35

COLOUR MAKES THIS SPACE
Athfield Architects’ design for Waterfront House in Lyttelton wraps colours of shipping
containers into a winning workspace in the 2019 Resene Total Colour Awards
The brief called for Lyttelton Port’s new head-
quarters to bring together administration and port
staff, creating a collegial workspace for the whole
company. The new building replaces the previous
headquarters – damaged and demolished follow-
ing the Canterbury earthquakes – and a container
terminal building deemed no longer fit for purpose.
An important part of the design was use of
materials that evoke the wharf environment – robust
finishes such as concrete, steel and reclaimed
timber create a unique character and resilience
within the building to house the 500 plus port staff.
External metal cladding takes its colour and
detailing from shipping containers, while the
exposed interior steel structure references cranes in
the port, and is painted Resene Fahrenheit (a deep
red) – also connecting with the colour of containers.
The interior palette also references the tones of
the surrounding Port Hills. Walls and ceilings are in
Resene Wan White – an umber white – with interior
doors in hard-wearing Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss
in Resene Double Foundry – a hot charcoal.
Timber feature ceilings and linings are enhanced
and protected with Resene Aquaclear waterborne
urethane. Feature meeting pods and exposed
plywood and timber battens are finished in Resene
Colorwood wood stain in Resene TotemPole,
Resene Pickled Bluewood and Resene Kumera.
This project won the 2019 Resene Total Colour
Nightingale Award and the Resene Total Colour
Commercial Interior Office Award.
The judges said: “The colour palette is fitting;
it feels unforced and subtle, yet it is beautifully
detailed and befitting of the local environment.
Colour makes this space.”
For details, visit a Resene ColorShop, phone
0800 RESENE (737 363); online: www.resene.co.nz
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Above:Resene colours evoke the
local surroundings while Resene
stains accentuate the joinery in
this award-winning fit-out.
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