Leith Place - Tokoroa, New Zealand

More than a convenience stop, Vulcan Screening helps create a landmark of interest, thoughtfully designed by DCA Architects.

Project details

Architect
DCA Architects
Product
Vulcan Screening (138x42) in Protector - Straw
Photography credit
Nick Lambert / DCA Architects
Completion date
Late 2020
Location
Tokoroa, New Zealand

Located next to a major highway, Tokoroa is a small town in the Central North Island of New Zealand. Once a thriving industry town driven by forestry and farming, people have moved to bigger centres resulting in steady decline for the town itself.

So the overarching brief became “How do we entice motorists to make Leith Place a preference to stop and take a break?”

As the site was long and narrow, DCA Architects created activation points in the north and south to catch interest and give people enough time to turn off from the highway.

The placement of the public toilets in the formation of Mahutonga (Southern Cross star constellation) acknowledges how the constellation was used as a navigation tool by many cultures, including the original settlers to New Zealand.

The public toilets are connected by a unifying roof and exaggerated in height with timber shrouds, featuring Abodo’s Vulcan Screening in Protector - Straw.

Alongside this, there was a local initiative to create a series of artworks called ‘Talking Poles’ located in and around the streets and CBD. Due to their spread out location, the talking poles were difficult to fully appreciate - to overcome this, the poles were relocated to a prominent position on Leith Place, which is lit at night for greater visibility.

Products

See more about the products that have been used on this project.

Vulcan Screening in Protector Natural Abodo Wood
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Protector Coating Abodo Wood
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