Project Type: Public / Infrastructure
Location: Mont St Michel, France
Completed: July 2014
Lead Consultant: Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes
This is a new jetty that both connects and disconnects the famous monument, the second most visited tourist attract in France. It replaces the cause way with a pedestrian / shuttle only access to the island to improve waterflow in the area. It also means that the base of the monument, once a tourist carpark, has been liberated from vehicles who park in a concealed spot on the mainland adjacent the jetty. Director, Jo Aitken, worked on this project with Dietmar Feichtinger.
Project Type: Public
Project: Govett Brewster Art Gallery / Len Lye Centre
Client: New Plymouth District Council
Budget: $15 million
Lead Consultant: Patterson Associates Limited
Named 'Best Cultural Building of 2015 by Azure Magazine'
As the Project Architect, working closely with Andrew Patterson from Patterson Associates, Jo Aitken played a key role in all phases from briefing and design through to construction.
Following an intensive consultation process that Jo and Andrew carried out together, the initial design process started off with an in-house design competition. Jo proposed a building, wrapped with a curtain of full height stainless steel panels, inspired from Len Lye's stainless steel kinetic art works, particularly Blade, and the idea of creating a 'Theatre gallery', where Len's works would 'perform'. These steel panels would undulate dynamically to create openings, so that the entry to the gallery could change location depending on the exhibits. Len had a desire to make his works bigger and bigger and so this would offer a good opportunity to create a large scale, poetic homage to him that hopefully he would have enjoyed. Led by Andrew Patterson, the building design went through a long but enjoyable process of development into the design that is now built.
This project comprises of a new contemporary art gallery, dedicated to iconic New Zealand artist Len Lye, and the compliance upgrade of the existing Govett Brewster Art Gallery. This project also included a proposal to transform the existing road, adjacent the building, into a public square to become the cultural heart of the city.
This project has many innovative features including the 15m monolithic concrete panels, the curved stainless steel facade and some innovative lighting and power solutions.
Refer to link for videos and other information:
http://www.atelieraitken.org/new-blog/lenlyecentrestainless
Project Type: Mixed Use - Public, Retail and Commercial
Budget: $500 million
Location: Gare du Midi Bruxelles, Belgium
Director Jo Aitken carried this project as a Design Architect with Ateliers Jean Nouvel in Paris. This was a mixed-use commercial development including redeveloping an existing train Station in Brussels, Belgium. People approaching the station can see their train arriving on the mirrored facade.
This is an incredibly ambitious project, with two towers cantilevering 100m in either direction. A key challenge for this project was working out how to build the ‘V’ structure over the top of the train tracks, without ever closing the station.
Project Type: Hospitality
Client: Waterfront Auckland and Fu Wah
Location: Wynyard Quarter, Auckland - New Zealand
Budget: $125 million
Lead Consultant: Joint Venture - Patterson Associates Limited and WATG
Jo Aitken worked closely on the design proposal for this successful submission for Waterfront Auckland with Patterson Associates Limited and WATG. The Brief was for a 25,000sqm 5 star, environmentally sustainable hotel located in Wynyard Quarter, with the ground floor dedicated to public uses. As a luxurious hotel, the shiny exterior of building was inspired by the iconic luxury 'Stealth Boat’ by Wally, second image, and at the same time a homage to the original ship building shed typology that originally inhabited this waterside location.
Image sources:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/9944826/New-luxury-hotel-set-for-Auckland + http://www.metromag.co.nz/current-affairs/our-chinese-friends/
Project Type: Retail / Public
Client: Oravida
Status: Completed
Lead Consultant: Patterson Associates Limited
Winner: 2015 NZIA Architecture Awards International Category
Jo worked closely on the design of this project, located in Shanghai, with Andrew Patterson. The purpose of this project is to promote and sell New Zealand food and wine in the Chinese market.
(Photos by Jo Aitken)
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
SXSW Finalist Project 2017 - Future Learning Spaces
This is an adaptive re-use proposal for a soon to be disused carpark, which offers a great opportunity for a new type of public institution, which brings together key aspects of a library, a gallery, a cultural centre and urban park in central city locations. A central track loops up the height of the building taking visitors through the active zone, where people can play interactive learning games. A new light well is cut through the centre of the building. Dynamic content, that is partly curated by members of the community through online submissions and voting is shown on interactive screens, fog projections and through Augmented reality devices, which can be loaned to visitors. Temporarily archived books are stored in the central bookshelf enclosures, protected from weather. These can be accessed intermittently, if desired, otherwise books related to the current topics are clustered around the space on book chandeliers. The overall theme rotates fortnightly. Quiet reading and learning zones can be found towards the perimeter of the floor plates and roof garden.
Architects: Atelier Aitken
Project Type: Cultural
Client: New Zealand Ministry of Culture and Heritage and Publishers Association New Zealand
Location: Frankfurt, Germany
Joint Venture: Patterson Associates and InsideOut Productions
Andrew Patterson brought Jo Aitken on board again to work closely with him to deliver this high profile project with InsideOut Productions for NZ Ministry of Culture + Heritage.
This was a challenging project that brought together architecture, design, production, music and theatre to deliver a seamless and holistic experience about New Zealand and New Zealand literature. The large sub pavilions were designed to align to create a 360 degree experience from the 'sweet spots'.
This project broke attendance records and won the ‘Supreme Award’ at the New Zealand Interiors Awards and ‘International Category’ at the New Zealand Architecture Awards’
"One thing is certain: these architects were awake and working against time and distance to create a representation of New Zealand that wasn’t twee and clichéd. Into each scented sub-pavilion they have installed an intimate, hanging library – a book chandelier. Each sub-pavilion is a storytelling device in its own right but when realigned all six become a 360° visual experience, awash with multimedia drama. This exhibition was considered faultless, rigorously thought through, inventive and aspirational… If you could ask one of the 90,000 people who visited, they might say that it was layer upon layer of drama, activity and sensory delight."
Judges Citation
Project Type: 5 Greenstar Commercial Offices
Budget: $20 million
Lead Consultant: Jasmax
Jo worked on this project as a Design Architect for Jasmax. It was a pilot project for the sustainability rating scheme of which Joanna worked closely with Environmental consultants, E-Cubed.
This building won 4 New Zealand National Architecture Awards including Sustainability, Commercial Design, Interior Design and Urban Design.
Jo led this project as the Project architect for this project while based in Copenhagen, working with the top international educational specialists, Rosan Bosch Studio.
Learning gardens foster meaningful education in Thailand. Set outside the vibrant city of Bangkok, KIS International School Reignwood Park is developing a 40,000 sqm flourishing landscape for sensory learning.
To ignite students’ innate curiosity, the lush nature of Thailand is woven into the design concept created by Rosan Bosch Studio and local partners. Learners will embark on a journey of discovery and exploration with three core learning paths connecting students in communities for arts, sports and science. The physical environment is organized around differentiated learning gardens carefully developed to support natural growth on a journey of learning.
The seven buildings of the IB world school each represent flourishing gardens themed for the different age groups with an integration of nature, learning trails and a glocal perspective. The design resonates with the harmony of nature offering tactility, colors and shapes that engage students in a landscape of sensory learning experiences. The innovative pedagogical approach of KIS is carefully supported by learner-centered environments to offer a truly forward-thinking school for developing 21st century skills.
Project Type: Public and Urban
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Budget: $20 million
Lead Consultant: Warren and Mahoney
Director Jo Aitken worked on this project as a Senior Architect with Warren and Mahoney. This proposal is a new 3,000sqm library - first greenstar rated library integrated with a new Town Centre. The town square was carried out collaboratively with Boffa Miskell.
Porject Type: Public + Education
Location: Paris, France
Budget: $20 million
Completed: 2012
Lead Consultant: Mikou Design Studio
Director, Jo Aitken, worked as a Design Architect with Mikou Design Studio on this project in Paris. This project, comprising of a pre-school. primary school, middle school and ecreation centre was an urban regeneration project for Bobigny, a run down area on the fringe of Paris.
Project Type: Education
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Budget: $6 million
Lead Consultant: Opus Architecture
Jo Aitken worked closely with Eqo Leung on the design for this project. This project won the top New Zealand Architectural Prize, the New Zealand Gold Medal. This project also won the Asia Pacific Public Service Architecture Award.
Project Type: Tertiary Education
Project: University Administration and Media Centre
Budget: $18 million
Location: Aix-en-Provence, France
Jo Aitken worked closely on this project for Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes.
