The 30,000m2 Te Awa retail complex in Hamilton, New Zealand, incorporates traditional Maori elements while using modern engineering and design solutions.
The 60 moulded triple-layer EFTE panels are just 1% the weight of conventional glass. (photo: Gurit)
Te Awa
Tainui Group Holdings is a commercial company entirely owned by the Waikato-Tainui Maori iwi, or tribe. As a commercial enterprise, it is charged with generating returns for its investor but it also takes very seriously its responsibility to ensure the security of a growing community asset. The Te Awa retail complex in Hamilton, North Island, New Zealand, is designed to nurture the indigenous people’s culture and identity as well as providing a real return. The name of the development means river, or stream, and reflects the inspiration provided by the nearby Waikato river; water provided the major communications route in the past and sections of the retail complex itself is modelled around the shape of a waka, or traditional canoe.
Waka at the Tainui settlement celebrations, Turangawaewae, Waikato, New Zealand, August 22, 2008 (photo: istock/PhillipC)
Open to nature
Te Awa is designed to give shoppers the sense of being outdoors, so there is a strong emphasis on natural light. The spine of the roof is formed by a novel use of plastics: it consists of 60 moulded triple-layer panels containing 3,500m2 of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (EFTE). This translucent membrane maximises visible natural light inside, while absorbing radiation and cutting heat loss. It is light in weight, being just around 1% of the weight of glass. This had the knock-on effect of greatly reducing the size of the wishbone steel structure needed to support it, compared with the glazed systems found in other retail constructions.
A series of double curvature composite domes are mounted either side of the central spine, to complete the roof over the main concourse. When viewed from beneath, they form a striking saw-tooth pattern, reminiscent of Maori art. The structural domes have a span of nearly 6m and a finished thickness of just 30mm, from the waterproof outer surface to the inner cosmetic surface.
3,500m2 of EFTE panels form a translucent roof that places an emphasis on natural light for Te Awa retail centre. (photo: Gurit)
Stately dome
Engineers from Gurit worked with the fabricator’s designers to ensure the laminate design meets strength and stiffness requirements. Finite element analysis was used to take advantage of the domes’ natural shape, while fully exploiting the cored composite construction. Specific areas of directional reinforcement were applied in strategic locations to maximise performance at minimum cost. The engineers also provided specific composite detailing to help the components seamlessly connect to the conventional structure. The domes were fabricated in single units off site. They have no joins requiring weather-tightening, and are light enough to be easily lifted into place for installation.
Corecell foam and glass reinforcement fabrics were supplied to the composite fabricator as a B3 SmartPac, with each piece CNC-cut to the exact size and shape required, along with a construction manual. The use of the B3 SmartPac was intended to ensure that the engineering design was consistently translated into the finished parts, which helped with quality assurance and reduced overall build time. FRP, New Zealand manufactured the finished 8.1 x 5.7m parts, which were then transported to the building site in single units.
Constant dimensions and properties
“Opting for a one-piece moulded construction technique, rather than hand cutting material and then joining laminated panels together, meant that each component would have exactly the same dimensions and properties,” said Tony Stanton, Asia Pacific Engineering Manager at Gurit. That meant there was no concern about variability or whether the domes would attach to the main structure in the same way each time. This helped to speed up the installation time on site.
A 14m high pou (carved post) stands at the entrance to the Te Awa retail complex, with three threads – white, black and red – spiralling up around it to a canopy above. The pou represents the Waikato/Tainui proverb of the Eye of the Needle, which was passed down from the first Maori King and is said to symbolise unity and inclusiveness.
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