2010 Waikato/Bay of Plenty Architecture Awards Winner
Waitomo Glowworm Cave Visitor Centre
Sheltered below an innovative woven timber canopy, the new amenities for visitors to the Waitomo Caves include tourist gathering areas, a 250-seat dining space, retail, seminar and exhibition areas, as well as a caf� and theatre. Pedestrian flows are carefully managed for both convenience and experience, with the cave entrance accessed from the upper path while a lower path returns visitors back alongside the stream exit. The simple base structure extends from the contours of the land and is visually independent of the curved geometry of the canopy overhead. This reinforces the central idea of a simple lightweight �sky shell� to act as a counterpoint to the main subterranean attraction.
- Practice
- Architecture Workshop Ltd
- Category
- Commercial Architecture
- Location
- Waikato / Bay of Plenty
