O'Connells Shopping Centre Queenstown

Revitalising an historic shopping hub

At the heart of Queenstown’s hospitality and trading since the 1880s, O’Connell’s has been completely refurbished inside and out, its entryways protected by heavy-duty ExtraTread entry matting from Advance Flooring.

‘The shopping centre had previously required a lot of maintenance,’ says Preston Stevens from McAuliffe Stevens Architects, ‘so the client’s brief was to make it as durable and maintenance-free as possible.’

Robust materials, such as copper and aluminium cladding, have been carried through into the main entryways. ‘We needed to improve the building’s relationship with its surroundings,’ says Preston. ‘It had very awkward entryways, set on sloping streets.’

Customisable for existing geometries

ExtraTread is a stylish entrance mat with highly absorbent polyamide inserts. The low-profile aluminium frame and extra-wide carpet inserts are all made to specific sizes and shapes, which allowed the architects to work within the building’s unique layout.

‘Because of the geometry and the nature of the entryways, we had some interesting angles in the wall layouts,’ says Preston. ‘There is a rectangular mat in the main wind lobby, but in the two other entries the mat needed to be shaped to fit.’

Highly absorbent for Queenstown weather

Designed and engineered with 37 per cent extra water-absorbing capacity than other comparable entrance mats, ExtraTread’s polyamide inserts reduce slip hazards, protect floors and help save on maintenance costs.

‘The high moisture absorbency is suited to Queenstown’s distinctive seasonal climate,’ says Preston. ‘ExtraTread is a very practical solution, providing moisture and dirt control as people enter the building from the public footpath.’

‘Some of our clients choose not to have a built-in, recessed entrance mat, but that introduces more maintenance because surface mats tend to move out of position,’ Preston continues. ‘For O’Connell’s, the context was the durability of the building, and ExtraTread meets and exceeds the requirements.’