2022 Canterbury Architecture Awards Winner
Ōpuke Thermal Pools and Spa
Designed with sustainability in mind, this complex near Methven and close to the base of Ōpuke (Mt Hutt), references a journey across the Canterbury Plains, through the nearby Rakaia Gorge and into the mountains beyond. The architects have cleverly illustrated this journey with material selections and architectural forms that reference ideas of protection, compression, and opening: a gabion walled entranceway leads one inside, where internally expressed roof grid of LVL beams float mountain-like above beech-clad interiors. From here, alternate pathways lead to family, adults-only, or exclusive luxury spa areas, making this facility a pleasure to explore and a positive addition to the area’s tourism market.
- Practice
- Sheppard & Rout Architects Ltd
- Category
- Commercial Architecture
- Location
- Canterbury
