The Novotel at Auckland Airport is a significant landmark with an unmistakably New Zealand identity.
The resulting building uses natural materials, dramatic, sculptured forms, and a high degree of façade transparency to convey an insight into the essential qualities of New Zealand and New Zealanders. This impression is further reinforced by setting the building in a mini landscape of volcanic basalt paved surfaces contrasted with lush indigenous coastal flora.
In keeping with the building’s function as a resting place at the beginning or end of a journey, elements of the design take their inspiration from Aramoana, a taniko pattern symbolising the path of the great Tainui waka as it voyaged from Hawaiki and Arorangi.
The interior, too, makes use of a variety of motifs, referencing both traditional designs and New Zealand’s abundant native flora and fauna. For example, the influence of the nearby Manukau Harbour the Waikato River can be recognised immediately in textures and patterns incorporated into the surfaces of ceilings, screens, and the fabrics.
Evident throughout the hotel is the principle of sustainability, with materials and technologies chosen for their low impact on the clean, green environment that inspired the design.
