2018 Sir Miles Warren Award for Commercial Architecture
The Mezz Box addition forms part of the Victoria on the River urban park, which was also designed by Edwards White Architects.
Jury member Richard Goldie commented, “The audaciousness of the thing really impressed…”
The long, tapered studio space appears to hang over the river.
Juror Andrea Bell noted that this project was an example of the developer and architect working together seamlessly.
“The success of this project is in the two formal gestures working together, allowing the addition to embed itself comfortably into the existing building,” says jury member Amy Muir.
Mezz Box by Edwards White Architects is an addition which exemplifies the revelatory approach, by client and architects, to the emergence of Hamilton city’s relationship with its geographic champion – the mighty Waikato.
Jury Commentary
Richard Goldie, Andrea Bell, Amy Muir and John Melhuish
The Mezz Box is an elegant addition that fulfils its commercial function, enhances the existing building and makes a commendable contribution to the public realm of a new urban park. The project is imaginative and well-considered, and should prompt reconsideration of the relationship of the Hamilton CBD and the city’s outstanding natural asset – the Waikato River.
– NZIA Citation
“Finally, we see a project where Hamilton engages with and embraces its greatest natural feature, both geographically and culturally: the river,” says Richard Goldie. “Generally, in New Zealand, what is distinguishing about our urban spaces is that they are so strongly connected with profoundly beautiful natural features. Also, the audaciousness of the thing really impressed – hanging this wonderful box off a 1970s’ building was really inventive in terms of the proposition and the assembly, backed up with some innovative thinking.”
“This was a fantastic collaboration between an architect and a developer client who was willing to step outside the square and was very passionate about their hometown as well,” says Andrea Bell. “It has resulted in a project that has become a catalyst and also a model, not only for the future development of Hamilton but also for the repurposing and adaptation of existing buildings throughout New Zealand.”
“This innovative and courageous insertion of a new, prefabricated form into an older building has really raised the bar in Hamilton,” said John Melhuish. “Building the addition on the ground and craning it into place demonstrated intelligent construction methodology while, inside, the long, linear, slightly tapering space is unexpected. You appear to hang out in space, with floor-to-ceiling glass, and it feels as though you’re hanging over the river. It’s a dramatic space to enter.”
For Amy Muir, what was really interesting was the fire escape addition. “Articulated as a cantilevering, curved balcony, that feeds out of the cantilevered box, the fire escape is one of the devices used to tie the existing and new together. The success of this project is in the two formal gestures working together, allowing the addition to embed itself comfortably into the existing building.”
See the full list of winners of the 2018 New Zealand Architecture Awards here.
