National Ocean Water Sports Centre

The National Ocean Water Sports Centre in Takapuna, Auckland will be the Centre of Excellence for a variety of competitive Olympic water-based sports and the administrative centre for Yachting New Zealand.  The project programme includes the National Ocean Water Sports Centre itself, a hardstand area for rigged boat storage and a boat storage facility set below street level.

The subterranean component of the project houses a boat storage space to support the high performance centre and provide a community boat storage facility adjacent to the Takapuna Beach boat ramp. The storage occupies the area beneath a new public car park, minimising the physical presence of the project while also providing direct access to the water for the small yachts, sail boards and support craft which will use the facility.

The National Ocean Water Sports Centre accommodates a reception and function area, offices, meeting rooms, high performance training facilities and a small gallery commemorating the exploits of the country’s ocean-water based athletes.  The design for the centre has been deliberately set into the site to limit the visual impact on the beach front reserve and provide direct access to some of the country’s best sailing waters.

The roof of the centre is light, aerodynamic and symbolic of sail sports.  It is intended that the materiality and finish of the roof form is evocative of a high performance yacht; finely tuned and built for speed.  This roof gives the calm rational architectural language of the boat storage facility a sculptural physical presence which also demonstrates New Zealand’s expertise in boat building and high-technology design.