A modern take on a sports club lounge
Full Time Sports Bar & Eatery in Auckland, designed by CTRL Space, has opened its doors to a potential 1.5 million sports fans who gather in Kingsland annually to socialise pre- and post-matches at Eden Park.
The entrance from New North Road, Kingsland.
The bar has direct views to Eden Park stadium from the rear.
High-tech screens allow uninterrupted views of sports matches.
A curved bar in a natural palette is echoed by curved display screens.
Mood lighting and sports paraphernalia promote a casual ambience.
Indoor and outdoor spaces enable year-round enjoyment.
A central bar with wraparound screens ensures sports fans don’t miss a moment.
The design team chose a subdued, natural palette offset by rich, deep-brown tones.
Sports fans can enjoy the many nods to iconic New Zealand sports teams within the interior.
Curated displays cover a range of New Zealand sports.
The design’s open nature provides view shafts throughout for patrons to keep up on the sports action.
A similar materiality is used across both interior and exterior to create a sense of continuity.
Bespoke lighting creates interest while matching the energy of sports enthusiasts.
Design studio CTRL Space is celebrating the ‘kick off’ of its latest project, Full Time Sports Bar & Eatery. The Kingsland venue — a five-minute walk from Auckland’s Eden Park — is a joint hospitality venture between The Warriors and Hancocks, with the owners looking to deliver “the best sports bar New Zealand has ever seen — a place where fans, fanatics, friends and families come together to celebrate their passion for sports and racing.”
Hospitality interiors specialist CTRL Space was chosen to deliver the project, based on the trans-Tasman practice’s more than 15 years experience in designing hotspots throughout New Zealand and Australia, including Michael Meredith’s Metita in SkyCity Auckland, which has been nominated for an international Restaurant & Bar Award, due to be announced in Barcelona next month.
CTRL Space worked with its clients and Complete Construction to deliver the high-spec fit-out, with technology and innovation embedded throughout the space, including large-scale curved display screens to play multiple sports feeds at once, in multiple directions, and an Autex acoustic ceiling disguised as architectural timber rafters to enhance the audio experience.
The brief called for a “sophisticated, vibrant and memorable environment”, which has seen the exterior character of the existing building refined and the interior featuring elegant, robust craftsmanship.
CTRL Space Creative Director Sam Griffin says the team felt a great responsibility when designing this space. “Sport and sports-fandom is a huge part of our country’s culture. We wanted to create an environment that could be enjoyed by the vast numbers of passionate Warriors and sports fans who will come to enjoy the hospitality of Full Time – a space that can become a celebration of sport (win or lose) and a hub for the sports-loving community to connect.”
Shane Don, General Manager for Full Time Sports, is impressed with the end result: “CTRL Space’s attention to detail throughout this entire project is what sets them apart from others. Their passion and open and frank conversations are a recipe for success for any client. They have been an integral part of delivering our strategy to create New Zealand’s best sports bar.”
