The latest in our series in which Aucklanders from different backgrounds choose their favourite buildings of the millennium.
With its faceted chandelier facade, as if fashioned from a crisp silver-white diamond net, the NZI Centre is a landmark at one of the busiest intersections in downtown Auckland.
Step inside and the intersection is transformed into a place where the relentless passing of cars metres away becomes a visual feast, rather than a distraction. It is an aquarium where the interior is really an exterior and, like a fish, you can relax and enjoy an oasis of tranquillity.
Green design concepts are at the heart of this beautifully-lit environment. Natural light filters through each space thanks to lofty circular skylights, and an under-floor air conditioning system quietly ventilates up through these.
Traditional ducted style air conditioning forces air down and electricity bills up. This building breathes naturally like some huge sea anemone.
The lifts also generate energy on the descent, feeding power back into the building.
The elegant interior is wrapped inside a treble skin of glass where adjustable louvres trap an insulating layer of air to cut heating and cooling expenses.
And to cap it all off is a delightful surprise - a hidden roof garden giving stunning views.
Its beauty, for me, is more than skin deep. It's about how this building works holistically as a living thing, creating a sense of place where none existed before."
THE ARCHITECT
Andrew Patterson is one of New Zealand's most internationally famous architects. His first house, designed while he was a student, earned him a Young Architect of the Year award. The Aucklander is probably best known for designing the golf clubhouse for jeweller Michael Hill in Queenstown. Partially buried beneath the earth to minimise the visual impact on the environment, it earned him the New Zealand Institute of Architects Supreme Award in 2008. After a public outcry from the wealthy northern slopes of Remuera and Parnell, he gained support this year, where others had failed, with a concept to develop the coastal Orakei headland. He lives in Freemans Bay.
THE NOMINATION
Andrew Patterson has nominated the NZI Centre, which opened last year on the site of the former Seamart building in Fanshawe St. The downtown glass-clad office block has many green features, including a roof-top garden and minimal basement-level parking but plenty of room for bikes. Vines have been planted to rise up vertical wires and eventually create green living walls between floors.
The building was designed by Jasmax and has a five-star green rating.
