The Fearon Hay designed centre (in collaboration with Satellite Media and Alt Group) in the revitalised suburb of Alexandria uses a luscious materiality of brass, European oak, salvaged timbers, marble, granite and basalt to evoke a rather elegant, visual approximation of New Zealand.

The centre’s exterior is cloaked in a shimmering aluminium mesh screen (with an anodised bronze finish) that, akin to Fearon Hay’s award-winning Te Kaitaka ‘The Cloak’ project, alludes to traditional weaving.

Inside, the materials and tones range from that of riverbeds (basalt, a river stone, white granite) through to an impressive Empress Green marble stone slab (honed finished and with brass edge) positioned at the threshold between the reception and inner sanctum of the space.

Jeff Fearon, from Auckland-based architectural practice Fearon Hay, said that the centre was designed to the capture the essence of Fisher & Paykel’s design philosophy. “Our ideas centred on creating a system for the relationship and flow of space that is social, engages with design and draws on the power of natural materials,” said Fearon.

According to Mark Elmore, Head of Industrial Design at Fisher & Paykel: “We wanted to come up with beautiful materials that are representative of our country, its landscape and to also inspire people about design possibilities.”

Fisher & Paykel has also launched an Experience Centre in New York, catering for the brand’s growing North American market.

For more information on the Experience Centre, see here.