Aotea Centre Theatre

The Aotea Centre in downtown Auckland is New Zealand's premier venue for the performing arts and events. It sits at the creative heart of New Zealand, hosting world-class performances, events and exhibitions inside, whilst the public square at its footsteps bears witness to public events, political rallies and protests. 

One of the final parts of a significant phased redevelopment is an upgrade to the building exterior. The visual regeneration is designed to excite and inspire, befitting the significance of the Aotea Centre and enriching the downtown area for Aucklanders. 

One of the most unique aspects of the design is a ribbon of louvres which run around the perimeter of the building. It's distinct and bold, with complexity to the geometry and shape, drawing upon the movements of a dancer; from plier (bend), relever (rise) and the 7 basic moves which form the building blocks of dance. At night, coloured lighting is used to animate this movement, as the Aotea Centre puts on its show.

The immediate challenge of the design was ensuring the existing structure could support the dynamic wind loads imposed by the new feature. Insol carried out concrete scanning as well as invasive testing to establish the strength of the structure. 

The next challenge was to minimise disruption and the installation time. We developed a modular approach, whereby the louvre ribbon was split into 60 different sections which were assembled off site and transported to the Centre, then craned onto the roof. Hiding behind the seeming ease of installation are some significant unseen innovations. The louvre modules were made with a pivoting mechanism, so they could be manoeuvred into position and bolted down to support points, before being rolled over and winched into their final position, when the bracing could be bolted off. It was an unobtrusive method, greatly reducing time and complication on site. 

The end result is a show that plays out as rehearsed in the Architectural vision. At night time, the facade comes alive with colour and movement. It's the opening act, and like all good opening acts it commands your attention, beckoning patrons inside to experience more, and the delights of theatre, song and dance.