The functional requirements of the brief were for a new Remarkables base building. Consisting of office space, ticketing, rental area, cafeteria and crèche.

"We engaged with Vistalite Otago in the early stages of design. We wanted to understand how the windows were going to cope with 270km/hr winds and how mullion centres and glass thicknesses would interact. We arrived at a module that worked with structural support centres and economic yields that were not in conflict with our architectural considerations. We needed a thermally broken profile that could withstand the big wind forces. A bolt-on bead was the only way to resist the suction loads" says Wyatt.

The technical requirements were for a seismic 160mm Thermal curtain wall system. The system had to meet extreme wind loads and weather conditions. Having the bolt-on bead with captive external glazing gaskets and the thermal break made this ideal. This also meant the windows had to be erected in stick form. This was fast to manufacture but slow to install.

The ethereal requirements were for the building to be a future landmark. The volumetric void within the building provided scale and grandeur while also capturing the breathtaking mountain views beyond.

To achieve these ethereal feats there were many challenges along the way; Altus Window Systems Technical team were brought in early in the process and designed all of the thermal profiles used in the project, they also provided full shop drawings and with the weather closing in the metal arrived just in time for manufacture. Construction delays were common due to bad weather. working in sub-zero conditions on scissor lifts and snorkel booms slowed progress. Working 12 hour days, 7 days a week for 9 weeks straight to meet the programme also had an effect on the team. And having to continually fit chains to vehicles was a hassle but a necessary one to safely get up and down the mountain.

Location - Queenstown
Architect / Designer - Wyatt + Gray Architects
Systems - Baltic Thermal Curtain Wall
Industry Sector - Recreation
Fabricator - Vistalite Otago - E13 Performance Windows