AAL Aluart have supplied bright silver on matt silver anodised aluminium wall cladding for installation at the Drake offices in Auckland.

The office building design reinforces the architectural significance of the heritage listed Drake Hotel, which the office building wraps around the side and rear of.

The architectural fabric of inner cities is constantly subject to change and new insertions are increasingly designed to respect, rather than mimic, the heritage character of existing buildings.

New buildings in busy CBD areas will often need to sit side by side with older buildings, some of which may well be heritage listed. Architect Colin Leuschke of Leuschke Group designed the office building, focussing on the importance of the new building reading as a contemporary 21st-century structure.

Horizontal and vertical glass louvre blades were used on the exterior of the office building as well as raw concrete, aluminium, stainless steel, and polished black granite materials. The colour of these materials also complements the heritage listed building.

Offices on the top floor of the new structure are concealed behind laser-cut aluminium screens that make up the Mansard roofing element. The screens were designed to ensure the tenants could still enjoy the views.

The entry passageway features a graphic lightbox and a wall of bright silver on matt silver Aluart anodised aluminium that was bent and moulded to provide a three-dimensional sculptural presence.

Aluart anodised aluminium wall cladding is available in a wide range of colours and patterns and can be manufactured according to customer specific requirements.

Anodised aluminium offers a deep and lustrous metallic finish that will not chalk, crack or fade.Further information on Aluart anodised aluminium wall cladding is available from AAL Aluart.