Sonata Apartments

The collection of 5 apartments in St Heliers Bay reflects its coastal setting, the exclusive bayside living complex gently communicating luxury and prestige with a standout aesthetic.  The contemporary design makes the most of all available space and offers sweeping views across the Hauraki golf.  

The exterior is a blend of polished concrete, timber soffits and stone pavers.  The fluid bends of the north facing windows effortlessly combine with the use of curves to sweep the apartments around the corner.  Window shrouds on the key corner glazing defines the experience and helps to visually separate the floors.  West facing windows were to use louvres for shading to transition the use of building materials from concrete to cladding, in the same dark zinc coloured finish.  This stops the concrete from becoming aesthetically overpowering on the side elevation and draws a line from the bottom of the building to the penthouse apartment at the top.

The window shrouds to the south and west elevations are made from 25mm thick aluminium.  Bedding with the curved glass, the shrouds are most for definition, accentuating the design.  All are finished in a standard Dulux Duratec Powder Coat.

A combination of Solaris 200x50, 300x50 and 400x50 fixed aluminium louvres are used at random centres, with each apartment level featuring a unique arrangement. There are similarities but not repetition.  The balance of uniformity with individualism adds to the overall sense of upmarket appeal, while always providing the required functional benefit of shading and solar control. 

Seeing how the shrouds and louvres work with each other and the architectural intent, elevates their presence beyond the straightforward.  The finished apartments achieve incredible elegance through contemporary simplicity, finished with those remarkable gentle curves. 

Architect  Buchan Group      Contractor  CMP Construction            

Location  Auckland