CLIENT: NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE LIMITED
SERVICE PROVIDED: ENGINEER TO THE CONTRACT
COMPLETION: IN CONSTRUCTION
VALUE: $CONFIDENTIAL
The New Zealand International Conference Centre (NZICC) is situated in the heart of Auckland’s central business district, bounded by Nelson, Hobson and Wellesley Streets and surrounded by key urban infrastructure including hotels, tourist attractions, business hubs and universities.
With a floor area of 32,500m2, the NZICC is the largest purpose-built convention centre in the country. Designed over three levels, the building has 8,100m2 of flexible exhibition space, can host around 3,000 delegates for convention events, or one-off events of around 4,000 delegates in a theatre-style arrangement on the exhibition floor.
The building has been designed with flexibility and versatility at the forefront. Meeting rooms are configurable to various sizes and uses, while the exhibition hall – which is five times larger than the country’s previous largest exhibition hall – can be subdivided into multiple spaces through the use of operable walls.
The facility contains a public atrium and external pedestrian laneway, along with an adjacent 300-room, five-star hotel connected via a 30-metre-long airbridge, and more than 1,300 car parks.
The exterior of the NZICC features the two largest pieces of public art ever created in New Zealand. The works, by New Zealand artists Sara Hughes and Peata Larkin, comprise of Sarah Hughes’ 550 painted glass panels that wrap around the top level, and Peata Larkin’s 13,500 terracotta tiles that form a 31-metre-high perimeter wall alongside the retail and dining laneway beside the new centre. Combined, the artworks span a total of 5,760m2 on the four external walls of the NZICC.
One of the most complex construction projects ever undertaken in New Zealand, construction of the NZICC has been further complicated by the deconstruction and remediation of affected areas following a fire in October 2019.
Urban Outcomes Limited Director Natasha Possenniskie is acting as Engineer to the Contract (EtC) for the remainder of the contract works on this project, following the retirement of the incumbent EtC. Natasha’s appointment to the role stems from her extensive experience and reputation as a fair and independent Engineer to the Contract.
Natasha is working alongside the design team of Warren and Mahoney, Woods Bagot, and Moller Architects; Project Managers and Engineers Beca; and Main Contractor Fletcher Construction on the delivery of this important project for New Zealand tourism.
