Selected Project
Parnell Baths
Matthews & Matthews Architects Ltd were architects for a major restoration of the 1958 Parnell Baths in 2003. The redevelopment aimed to integrate modern design with an exemplary conservation approach. Over time the Baths had lost much of the detail which had made the original 50s design an award winning complex. Conservation of the Baths reinstated the quality of original detailing, materials, spatial arrangement and colour scheme. Colours were selected to highlight the architecture and design concepts of the building, based on on-site colour scrape-backs, and historical research. A new lower level café was added, with glazing wrapped around the north and west of the building and opening out to new paving and the terraced lawn. The new elements were designed to fit seamlessly with the original buildings using modern materials and construction techniques while referring to the modernist forms, proportions and colours of the original building. The restoration project was awarded two Resene Colour awards in 2003, both a Commercial Exterior award and an overall ‘Grand Prix’. In 2010 further works at the Baths included maintenance to the pools and roof and upgrading of the changing room areas with a revised colour scheme and new fittings.
- Category
- Public Architecture
- Location
