AECOM House occupies a prominent site on the Eastern Gateway Beach Road approach to Auckland City centre.
The design objectives were influenced by District Plan rules governing the height constraints, and by good urban design principles, such as maximising the active edges of the building and building to the street edge. Enhancing the public realm and privacy relative to neighbouring residential buildings was an important consideration.
Prior to being transformed into a railway yard, the site was reclaimed from the ocean. Material selection reflects this, with polished distressed stainless steel panels appearing to shimmer, and a series of coloured glass fins at regular intervals around the curved façade that transition from blue to green. The character of this elevation varies according to the sun’s position and the viewpoint.
Basalt was chosen for the column cladding as this reflects the volcanic heritage of Auckland, as well as being the material used by nearby buildings. We selected polished basalt with white veins, to complement the stainless steel and imply movement and rippling.
The more recent history of the site as a goods shed in the railway yard is recognised by re-using retained column bases to create public seating by the entrance. The history of the site can be followed within the lobby where we have integrated a 1939 aerial photograph collage.
The result is an 8-storey 5-star Green Star commercial building, with a gross floor area of 13,252 sqm, and with predominantly large office floors in response to market demands, plus retail and food tenancies at street level.