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The project brief to the design team lead by Shand Shelton Architects and Project Managers was to develop a cultural precinct for the City of Hastings. This involved heritage restoration of the existing Theatre and Municipal Buildings, and the addition of a foyer incorporating hospitality and retail spaces opening onto a plaza to enhance existing recreational and entertainment facilities of the complex.
For more information on the heritage restoration of the Opera House theatre, click here. HBOH – Theatre page
Below we outline LHTDesign’s involvement in the creation of the impressive foyer and the entrance plaza and hospitality area.
LHTDesign worked as part of a multi-disciplinary project team responsible for the multi-million dollar conversion of the old Quinney Motors building and yard into a new, grand entrance for the restored Opera House.
The recycled car yard and repair shop have been transformed into an entrance plaza containing a colonnaded courtyard, bounded by hospitality and retail spaces, and a magnificent three-storey glass-fronted foyer that leads into the theatre.
Screens along Hastings Street open the courtyard onto the footpath, closing only to protect against inclement weather.
The hospitality and retail spaces are to be fitted out once tenant contracts are finalised.
LHTDesign worked in close collaboration with architects Shand Shelton, project manager and lead consultant, and the contractor Morgan Builders to conceptualise, and then implement construction requirements.
LHTDesign carried out all structural design and produced the associated documentation necessary under very tight and demanding time constraints. The firm also provided practical, prompt structural solutions and advice for day-to-day site-specific project requirements.
In particular, LHTDeign provided a fire safety design to bring the recycled Quinney’s building to acceptable modern standards. We also applied geotechnical advice for particular problem areas of the site. Importantly our structural design provided maximum functionality while contributing to the aesthetic value of the new theatre environment.
The Opera House is Hawke’s Bay’s premier icon heritage building and the Southern Hemisphere’s most outstanding surviving example of classic Spanish Mission architecture.
The new plaza and foyer have contributed a "wow" factor that makes the entrance an attraction in its own right. It exemplifies the outdoor lifestyle of Hawke’s Bay that delights locals and tourists alike.
A truly collaborative effort, this project was achieved under very demanding time constraints and technical demands to combine creativity with functionality.
For a client’s perspective on this project please contact Roger Shand of Shand Shelton. Phone: (04) 801 5170.
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