Westfield Newmarket in Auckland is an 88,150sqm shopping centre that has recently undergone a $790m redevelopment. Owned by Scentre Group, the centre is a major retail destination for the city, incorporating more than 200 specialty stores and major retailers including the city’s first David Jones department store.

“As specialists in decorative precast concrete, Nauhria was approached early on in the design phase to contribute ideas and options that would realise Scentre Group's vision for Westfield Newmarket. This included the production of MONARC precast concrete panels designed to simulate the look of basalt—an acknowledgement of the local geology—integral to the finish that Scentre Group wanted to achieve,” says Tony Nawisielski, Sales and Marketing Manager for Nauhria, the company that provided precast concrete panels for the project.

Using moulds that had been designed around a seven-metre repeating pattern, the precast panels give the impression of giant basalt slabs.

“To further add a touch of realism to the finished product, we incorporated PeterFell SuperBlack into the concrete mix. PeterFell uses high-grade iron oxides to create its colours. Because these oxides are added to the concrete, the colour is permanent and won’t deteriorate or fade, even in the harshest of environments. The integration of the oxides also results in a natural distribution of colour, reflecting the organic nature of concrete and imparting a unique depth and warmth.”

Another benefit of incorporating PeterFell oxides into the product resulted from a rather unlikely test scenario.

“Part of the development process for this project was testing the look of the panels in various climatic conditions. We found, when the natural concrete panels were wet they exhibited a ‘brown’ tone, which the client didn’t like, so we added silver-grey oxide to maintain the concrete colour in all weather conditions, giving the client the look they wanted, contributing to the overall success of the project.”

Benefits of the MONARC precast system include: it is both an architectural facade and a structural element; is a locally made product offering durability and longevity; and, provides time and cost savings, particularly around installation.

Client: Scentre Group
Precast concrete panels: Nauhria
PeterFell colour: PFL 699 SuperBlack