Several large projects, years in the making, have been recognised in the 2024 Southern Architecture Awards.
They include the Mosgiel pool, Te Puna o Whakaehu, the Dunedin Railway Station restoration and the transformation of an entire centre city block in Invercargill.
Designed by McCoy and Wixon in association with Maguire and Harford Architects, the Mosgiel pool complex opened last June after years of community fundraising. The jury said all the details were just right for a community pool: "There is clear interaction with the street, great slot views to the surrounding countryside while swimming and a masterful series of chunky taniwha teeth cast across the rear wall."
One of New Zealand’s most photographed buildings, the Dunedin Railway Station was restored in stages. The project by Salmond Reed Architects included extensive repairs to the roof, new copper tiles being created for the central dome and the Marseille tiles of the main roofs being cleaned of a century of detritus.
The Invercargill Central project was praised for laying the foundation for a vibrant city centre. The project by The Buchan Group featured retail, hospitality and entertainment zones, connected by pedestrian links, and included the preservation of three prominent heritage buildings.
The winners, announced in Invercargill last night, also included the first certified "passive house plus" workspace in New Zealand — a building that houses Dunlop Builders in Wanaka — and the transformation of derelict farm buildings near Arrowtown into a hospitality venue known as Ayrburn.
Six projects received Resene Colour Awards, including the University of Otago’s newest hall of residence, Te Rangihīroa College.
Meanwhile, the housing category celebrated eight projects that were described as inspired in their architectural planning and execution.
While Ayrburn and the Dunedin Railway Station restoration were winners in the heritage category, there was a pleasing trend for projects to have strong connections to the past even in other categories.
The annual awards are organised by Te Kāhui Whaihanga NZ Institute of Architects.
Southern Architecture Awards
Commercial
— Roost Arrowtown by Assembly Architects and Spirus Architecture (Maurice Orr architect) (also won a colour award).
— Dunlop Hub, Wānaka, by Pac Studio and Steven Lloyd Architecture.
— Invercargill Central by The Buchan Group.
Education
— Columba College, Dunedin, Boarding Village, by Parker Warburton Team Architects.
Heritage
— Ayrburn, Arrowtown, by SA Studio (also won a colour award).
— Dunedin railway station restoration by Salmond Reed Architects.
Hospitality
— The Fork and Tap, Arrowtown, by Mary Jowett Architects.
— Ayrburn, Arrowtown, by SA Studio.
Housing
— Vineyard House, Queenstown, by Anna-Marie Chin Architects.
— Alexandra Rock House by Anna-Marie Chin Architects.
— Our House, Arrowtown, by Assembly Architects.
— Grendon St Residence, Dunedin, by McCoy and Wixon Architects.
— Roys Peak Farmhouse, Wānaka, by Rafe Maclean Architects.
— Wānaka S.K.I House by Roberts Gray Architects (also won a colour award).
— Quarry Hill House, Queenstown, by Sheppard & Rout Architects.
— Park House, Wānaka, by Studio of Pacific Architecture.
Housing - Multi-Unit
— University of Otago’s Te Rangihīroa College, Dunedin, by Jasmax (also won a colour award).
— Marina Terrace Apartments, Wānaka, by Mason & Wales Architects.
Interior Architecture
— Forsyth Barr Dunedin office fit-out by McAuliffe Stevens.
— Verdant House, Wānaka, by Pac Studio and Steven Lloyd Architecture (also won a colour award).
— Intus, Dunedin, by Parker Warburton Team Architects (also won a colour award).
Public Architecture
— Te Puna o Whakaehu, Mosgiel, by McCoy and Wixon Architects and Maguire and Harford Architects.
Enduring Architecture
— Mason & Wales Architects office building, Dunedin, (1973) by Mason & Wales Architects.
— Staff reporter
