Curved roof system TE AWA MALL IN HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND

metal profileTexlon® ETFEcommercial

Vector Foiltec enclosed the Te Awa mall at The BASE shopping centre in Hamilton, New Zealand with 3,020 m² of Texlon® ETFE. Designed by Ignite Architects of Auckland, this unique building reflects local culture, while providing world class retail facilities to New Zealand’s 4th largest city.Unique print pattern on ETFE foilThe customized print pattern on the top foil uses the client Tainui Group’s Niho Taniwha (guardian’s teeth) motif and diffuses natural light onto the internal street. Tainui Group is the kaitiaki (guardian) of the commercial assets for the 67,000 members of the Waikato-Tainui people – the regional Maori tribe. It gives the Shopping Mall a uniqueness and cultural identity. Not only is the Texlon® ETFE able to tie in the cultural of the surrounding are but it maximises natural lighting, and gives the opportunity for solar shading and control using specially developed prints and patterns.Local influences on designThe architecture of the building is based around two core themes: the Waikato River and a Waka, a Maori War Canoe. Cultural themes are widely represented throughout the centre – from the custom print pattern in the Texlon® ETFE roofing to a red, white and black thread pattern used throughout the mall. Even the Mall’s name “Te Awa” translates to “The River”.The BASE centre was fully-operational during the construction of the enclosure at the Te Awa shopping mall, which presented special operational and staging challenges to Vector Foiltec’s construction team.