Jury Commentary

Named Award citation:

“Many global tourist destinations are suffering from being overrun by huge visitor numbers. The slow tourism of The Great Glenorchy Alpine Base Camp suggests a softer touch. The experiences here for tourists are not offering hospitality with a high demand in terms of energy and resource use. The low-impact buildings and site services offer delightfully simple sleeping huts rather than a high-end hotel, something which suggests visitors who book an experience here are much more in tune with the spirit of the place.”

Hospitality Award citation:

“Architecture that sits on the doorstep of a UNESCO World Heritage Site has to deliver an appropriate response to context. Fourteen simple, gable-roofed sleeping huts and adjacent communal spaces are built from mainly locally sourced materials and have a low embodied and operational energy footprint. Inspired clients, together with the architects, interior architects and builders, have not only created a true fit to place, but offer the best pre- and post- experiences for visitors engaging with this powerful landscape.”

Project team:

Richard Naish, Mitchell Round, Adam Dwen, Anne Thiermann, Jessica Barter.

rtastudio.co.nz

bureaux.co.nz

The New Zealand Architecture Awards receive generous support from Resene, a steadfast sponsor of the program since 1991, and APL, which commenced its sponsorship of the awards in 2021.