The Pacifica Penthouses
Client | hengyi
TYPE | ARCHITECTURE, INTERIOR DESIGN, DOCUMENTATION
SECTOR | RESIDENTIAL
STATUS | COMPLETE (2024)
Location | AUCKLAND, NZ
SCALE | GFA: 1,071 sqm, 4 Penthouses
Photography | Sam Hartnett
AWARDS | 2024 Best Awards - Residential / Residential Interior Architecture - Finalist
Unprecedented luxury living atop New Zealand's tallest residential tower.
Crowning Auckland's newest skyscraper, The Pacifica Penthouses have been artfully crafted to evoke a feeling of understated luxury, where creativity is found in the detailing, rather than overtly.
The brief from our client Hengyi was to create a space with broad market appeal, imbued with tranquillity, and serving as a canvas for occupants to personalise with art, sculpture, and personal styling.
Under the artistic vision of lead interior designer, Ivona Golubovic, from our Melbourne studio, The Pacifica Penthouses represent a gold standard of quality and innovation embodied throughout the design concept.
"The layout of the penthouse apartments is designed to delineate between day and night areas. Generous proportions of minimalist spaces flow and intertwine with one another, creating a seamless transition between different zones while maintaining a sense of privacy.
The interior design embraces clean forms and uncluttered spaces. By prioritising simplicity and functionality, the interiors exude a sense of calm and clarity, allowing residents to unwind and recharge amidst the urban landscape." Ivona Golubovic, Plus Architecture Associate
Initially planned as a super-sized residence, the client opted to reconfigure levels 53 and 54 into four penthouses, aligning better with market preferences.
In 2022, we undertook the task of splitting the super penthouse into separate residences. A true international collaboration, Elke Vermeulen and Ella Chamberlain lead the delivery from our Auckland studio.
As the tower was already built, we were essentially retrofitting the existing building, accommodating the hydraulic stacks, plumbing penetrations, structural columns and existing rises within the floorplates. This challenged our creativity to realise a design that would feel interconnected while facilitating ease of movement through the space.
Choosing custom-made pivot doors, free of handles or hinges, allows for easy closure of the large, open-plan living areas, enhancing privacy and intimacy when desired. In the centralised kitchen, we incorporated an exaggerated recessed kickboard to create the illusion of the kitchen floating in space. We've also included understated luxury elements such as an integrated range exhaust and seamless Gaggenau cooktop for a clean look, with LED lighting that runs along the top of the joinery to give the space a warm glow in the evening. For the bathrooms, we selected large format floor tiles to achieve seamless finish. Additionally, we recessed the cabinetry storage to ensure the mirrors would sit flush and seamlessly disappear into the waterproof plaster-covered walls. This minimalist approach highlights the grandeur of the stone vanities, allowing them to serve as striking focal point within the space.
Materiality serves as a connecting motif across the living spaces. A linear fireplace, intricately carved into the living room wall, features internal facets enveloped in travertine. The travertine extends seamlessly around the wall, transitioning into the threshold of the main entrance, fostering a sense of harmonious cohesion. Every detail is meticulously crafted to form deliberate synergy.
In areas where timber cladding is employed, we've explored unique applications of the material, such as juxtaposing horizontal and vertical wood grain for added visual intrigue. To infuse the space with an organic softness, a render finish has been applied throughout, complemented by shadowline skirting for an elevated aesthetic.
In response to Hengyi's request for a zen-like interior, we integrated traditional Japanese wabi-sabi design principles, highlighting natural materials, authenticity, and the beauty of imperfection.
Clad in extensive glazing, the residences offer views of the Sky Tower, across the Waitematā Harbour to Rangitoto Island. Residents will have access to a 24-hour concierge service, valet car parking and amenities including a heated swimming pool, sauna, steam room and spa, a state-of-the-art gymnasium and a cinema for private screenings.
