On the outside it is stained cedar and unpainted concrete, but the colourful inside of St Joseph’s Church Mt Victoria, is a winner for its architect.
Designed by Marc Woodbury of Studio of Pacific Architecture, the church has won the Public Spaces category in the Dulux Colour Awards with the judges particularly impressed by the contrasts achieved between unpainted concrete, stained timber and dramatically painted wall and ceiling surfaces.
The Dulux Colour Awards presented in Auckland on 25 June, are a celebration of the impact of colour and paint finish on the built environment.
The awards have been developed to reward those who have accepted the challenge to creatively enhance their design with colour.
The colour features which so impressed the judges include a dramatic 12 metre chapel painted in a sombre dark red and the main nave space which is a fresh green specially mixed to the architect’s specifications.
Uplights complement the chapel ceiling colours and a dramatic slot window will soon feature a stained glass design from artist Shane Cotton.
Architect Marc Woodbury says the pohutukawa red gives greater intimacy and suits the quiet and more reflective use of the chapel for individual prayer.
The green nave space reflects the vibrant and lively community and the timber features are picked out in a similar manner to the chapel to help the legibility of the building’s structure, Mr Woodbury says.
Internal concrete walls are given warmth with acoustic timber reflectors, and a skylight gives focus to the sacred elements of the altar and ambo, which are made of plate steel that has been rusted for effect, he says.