Fred van Brandenburg (left), son Damien (middle) and
employee Griff Humphrey examine the model of the Chinese
fashion house headquarters they have designed. Photo by
Craig Baxter.
A Dunedin architect's design for the headquarters of a
Chinese fashion house will go on display at the country's
fashion week in Beijing.
Fred van Brandenburg and his son, Damien, leave for China
today to present to fashion label Marisfrolg the latest stage
of their 75,000sq m complex, which includes 4.8ha of gardens,
a boutique hotel, catwalk, factory, water features and a
35m-high lotus-leaf tower.
"It's a huge big sculpture set in a garden," Mr van
Brandenburg said.
The first phase of the design - two factory buildings each
about the length of a rugby field - were already under
construction.
On this latest trip they would take with them the full model
of the complex, produced using software and technology
developed out of Otago Polytechnic.
Mr van Brandenburg said he had been working on the project
for two years and the model showed the importance of nature
to the design, with leaf-shaped roofs and walls, much of
which had been designed so plants could grow up and around
them.
"From the ground, they'll see rocky outcrops broken up by
vegetation."
Word of the design had spread in China and from that had come
the invitation for the model to be displayed in Beijing, he
said.
His team also presented the model to a group of gifted pupils
in Dunedin at the weekend.
rebecca.fox@odt.co.nz
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