2023 New Zealand Architecture Awards Winner
Southern Aurora Substation (1972)
Utilitarian buildings, by their very nature, often go completely unnoticed on their sites, or don’t warrant a second look. Here, the upper, fluted precast façade, placed over a beautifully detailed, curved brick vehicle and pedestrian entry with mesh security screens, sits up proudly and says, “look at me”. On the upper-roof level of the 1972 substation, curved brick screens hide the necessary transformers, while essential electrical requirements are hidden away in the basement and ground floor bunkers, ensuring there is light and power for the region at the flick of a switch.
