As well as being a customer-friendly shopping destination, this new supermarket in the Auckland suburb of Mount Roskill meets high urban design expectations.
Much effort has been directed toward breaking the mould of introverted, visually uninteresting boxes. The WMZA design opens up the supermarket at its public edges so that the building communicates with its surroundings.
Elements such as canopies, louvres and roof overhangs provide a strong horizontal emphasis and break the building mass down to smaller banded surfaces. The design also includes vertical surfaces that project and recede along the façade. Coupled with the horizontal composition of all the building elements, this results in a visually appealing frontage.
A large amount of glazing lightens the building appearance and helps communicate the functionality of the supermarket to the general public. Transparency also helps with public safety along the street edge at night. Likewise, the entry/exit opening to the basement and the screened areas alongside are maximised to improve safety to those parking there, as well as providing natural ventilation to the carpark.
Materials range from precast concrete (in natural and painted finishes) to composite aluminium panelling systems. Detailing is provided by aluminium sun louvres, glass, metal screens and exposed steel canopy fascia.
The sophisticated interplay of form and materials leads to a strikingly different supermarket. With light and delicate architectural components, careful manipulation of surfaces, and selection of contrasting colour and materials, the result is a contemporary and elegant building that adds value to its urban setting.