Merchant Quarter - Building A, Auckland

Award:  Other Entrants

Project:  Merchant Quarter - Building A, Auckland

Entrant:  Wilco Precast Ltd

Owner:  Infratil Infrastructure Property Ltd

Architect:  Jasmax

Consulting Engineer:  BGT Structures

Contractor:  Hawkins Construction

Other Firms:  Bridgeman Concrete

Merchant Quarter Building A, located in New Lynn, is a truly innovative example in the use of precast concrete as a facade element.  The development is a three level mixed-use building, with retail on the ground floor and commercial office space on the upper two floors.

The architecturally striking building presents a modern face to a rejuvenated New Lynn town centre by incorporating a stunning curtain wall and a precast concrete facade design completely unique to New Zealand.

The key feature of this project was the use of precast concrete panels as a facade and the extremely high standard which these panels needed to be manufactured to.

In winning this contract, one of the top five risks Hawkins Construction identified was achieving the timely procurement of quality precast panels.  This was due to their geometrically difficult shapes and the many co-ordination issues with windows and rain management detailing.

If the panels were delivered late or the complex geometry was not exact, the super-fast construction critical path for the whole project would have been delayed.

Ultimately, the whole manufacturing and installation process went extremely smoothly and the resulting quality of the panels and facade is testament to this.