Metropol

Set in the vibrant heart of the Cuba Character area, this 'mixed use' development covers many aspects of Wellingtons' modern life. The development, through varied design and usage provides retail, commercial, office and a wide range of residential alternatives.

The site wraps the existing non listed building on the heritage portion of the site, respecting its size and importance to the local built heritage. The parapet and existing cornice lines are reinforced by the design of the new adjacent building. The relationship to the new is strengthened by the units above being set well back from street frontage and the boundary. This reinforces the urban context and frames the existing building.

The podium and tower arrangement allow further definition of the streetscape, with reference to the existing local built scale. The tower fulfils the promise of a varied architectural development within the site and benefits from city and harbour views.

The duplex residential units are nestled in the centre of the site and topped by a rooftop garden, allowing amenity space for the residents. This continues to break the transitional scale between the building elements and the Cuba Street heritage. The active frontage is maintained by individual entrances to apartment cores and allows potential for commercial/retail accommodation that can be broken in to smaller scale units.