Dancing around the dolines

Matthew Webby visits the spectacular Punangairi, the new visitor centre in Paparoa National Park on the northern West Coast of the South Island by Sheppard & Rout.

SITE PLAN 1 PUNANGAIRI 2 LAWN 3 PAPAROA EXPERIENCE 4 CAR PARK 5 EXISTING COMMERCIAL/RETAIL 6 SERVICES EVEN IN OUR IMAGE-SATURATED WORLD, the aerial photos of Punakaiki’s new visitor centre Punangairi are undeniably spectacular. Nestled within the subtropical rainforest of Paparoa National Park and topped by a living roof, Sheppard & Rout’s design both blends into and contrasts with the natural surrounds of Dolomite Point and the nearby Pancake Rocks like a spaceship in camouflage. The journey to Punakaiki from both the north and the south winds along a coastline of raw nature. As you round the bend into Dolomite Point, your first glimpse of Punangairi is a forest of vertical columns set amongst established nīkau, topped with a slim aluminium-clad barge. Peeking over the top of this glistening barge…

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Architecture NZ (Digital) - 1 Issue, March-April 2025

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