Ōpuke Thermal Hot Pools

Hot pools evoke a journey through nature

Sector

Public buildings

Applications

Entrance & high traffic areas

Architect

Sheppard & Rout

Photographer

Jason Mann

Writer

Folio

Products used

StarTread

Advance Flooring - Entrance Matting System - Classic

StarTread is a high-quality aluminium and polypropylene matting system with a sleek strip design. The aluminium tread rails, available in anodised or powder-coated finishes, enhance traction, while the natural infill colours complement a variety of interiors. Larger mats feature interlocking sections for easy on-site assembly.

THE IDEA

Framed by its natural environment

Ōpuke Thermal Pools & Spa is set at the foot of the Southern Alps, outside Methven. In defining a local character for this new destination, architects Sheppard & Rout have evoked experiences of natural hot pools and the rocky terrain they inhabit.

‘You enter the building as if you are entering into the Earth,’ says architect Jasper van de Lingen. ‘Gabion walls on each side of the approach are filled with rocks from the local area to create a change in spatial experience. From the Canterbury plains behind, visitors walk through this narrow “cleft” in the building and inside.’

THE SOLUTION

Entrance matting creates a sturdy terrain

StarTread is very much part of the architecture of the threshold. say van de Lingen. ‘The whole entry portal is designed to heighten the experience of moving from the everyday world into the magic world of the hot pools, and materials are an integral part of that experience’ says van de Lingen.

The StarTread entry matting was specified with matt black inserts and black anodised rails to recede and merge with the raw concrete and stone surrounding it.

THE OUTCOME

StarTread ensures safety and cleanliness

Ōpuke Thermal Pools sit in a landscape that generates dust, dirt, rain, and snow, so StarTread works constantly to help keep the interior clean and dry and visitors safe from slip and falls.

StarTread serves the project’s architectural, creative and functional requirements. ‘We worked through detailing and specifications with Advance with ease,’ says van de Lingen. The entrance matting is designed and manufactured by Advance and held in stock in New Zealand.

Jasper van de Lingen

Sheppard & Rout

“The black entry matting is set wall-to-wall inside the wind lobby to integrate seamlessly with the architecture.”