Architectural firm Warren and Mahoney was responsible for the redesign of TVNZ’s interior, revisiting a space the firm originally designed some 26 years ago. 

The original building was, while innovative at the time of construction, a pre-internet building. It lacked the infrastructure to deliver modern digital content across multiple platforms. Part of the three year, $60.3 million renovation has been focused on how the building could enable TVNZ to deliver the services it provides in the manner it desires, including a vast amount of digital video content available at all hours of the day.

TVNZ’s chair Joan Withers says TVNZ’s building upgrade is an important investment in the company’s future. “It positions TVNZ to keep pace with the dynamic changes occurring within the world of media and strengthens its place as New Zealand’s video content leader.”

The changing nature of news production, delivery and consumption has forced many outlets to abandon the old ways of doing things in favour of a rapidly changing integrated approach to media, borne out in the design of their new homes.

For TVNZ this has meant adopting an approach of being ‘open and live’ both in outlook and operation. The new interior circles around the reshaped and styled atrium. The mostly black finishes and linear coloured lighting draws from iconic sci-fi film Blade Runner. Aside from the neon lights and the graphic styling of this central space, the ground floor atrium is cleverly planned to demarcate zones for different activities without formal separations. Subtle level changes and integrated seating makes the atrium feel both active and considered.

This refurbishment is the latest in a slew of media outlet renovations, including TVNZ’s primary competition Mediaworks and some of the country’s largest print media publishers.

A full feature on the TVNZ renovation is expected to appear in the December–February 2016 issue of Interior magazine.