In October 1902 the SS Ventnor was sailing from New Zealand to China carrying the remains of 500 Chinese who were to be buried in their ancestral villages.
Sadly, the ship sank off the Coast of the Hokianga Harbour with the loss of cargo and 13 of the crew.
Over the course of the following years the remains were washed ashore and respectfully collected and, in some cases, re-buried by the local Iwi and Pakeha.
Ironically, even though the spirits of the Chinese never made it to their destination this tragic event has brought together the Maori, Pakeha and Chinese cultures in a unique New Zealand Story.
Design Concept
The SS Ventnor Memorial is conceived as a place where visitors can come to honour the lives of the lost Chinese and crew and to learn of the history of the sinking.
The concept of the afterlife has been prevalent in both Maori and Chinese culture. The passage from the physical to spiritual worlds is the basis of the memorial as experienced in a 7-step ‘journey’.
The visitor encounters a series of stepped platforms and benches with the following inscriptions: -
· Departure 離開 Te Hokianga Nui
· Hope 希望 Tumanako Tumanak
· Gratitude 感謝 Mihi Aroha
· Waiting 等待 Noho Wahangu Ana
· Tears 眼淚 Roimata Maturuturu
· Memory 記念 Nga Maharatanga
· Honour 榮譽 Mihi Mahaki
Adjacent to the benches is an array of stelae that fan out and support bronze panels that list the names of the 500 Chinese and 13 lost crew.
The principal materials of raw concrete and Cor-Ten steel were selected to reflect the no nonsense ruggedness of the New Zealand landscape.
The rising steps and weathered panels suggesting the tectonic forces which formed the land over the passage of time.
Status: Built
Located in Westgate, Auckland this development consists of a mix of 37 terrace houses planned around a central village green.
Status: Complete
In collaboration with Renzo Piano Building Workshop
The City Gate project was a re-organisation of the main gate and buildings at the entrance to the historic fortified port city of Valletta.
It is comprised of the city gate, the new parliament buildings, landscaping, and an open-air theatre built within the ruins of the Royal Opera House.
Strong place making forms define the project. Starting at the bridge, monumental sentry stones flank the gateway framing the view down Republic Street. Steel blades separate the old stonework from the new. Wide stairs flare off the entrance to connect to the upper level of the old ramparts offering panoramic views. New elevators and stairs connect the gate to landscaping in the ditch below.
The new parliament buildings are conceived as two angular floating blocks connected by light bridges. The porous façade is carefully sculpted to minimise solar gain and the roof is covered with 600 sqm of photovoltaic panels to harness energy. The ground floor is programmed for a mix of cultural purposes re-enforcing public engagement and transparency in government.
The cooler lower levels open onto landscaped courtyards that are linked to an abandoned railway tunnel that has been converted from car parking to public spaces. Geo thermal bores driven 140m through the rock beneath the building acts as a heat sink to drastically lower the overall energy load in winter and summer.
The open-air theatre marks the the cultural heart of the city. Conceived as ‘a machine’ the new steel armature sits within the columns of the old opera house. It creates a flexible support system for lighting and the high-tech ERES sound system. Creating a superb outdoor venue for opera, dance, theatre, and music. When not in use it is a public piazza.
Status: Complete
6 Townhouses organised onto a narrow site in Pt Chevalier, Auckland.
Status: Under construction
A compact, affordable terrace house community comprising 2 level + garage typologies
Status: Under construction
Conceived as a weekend cabin, the house required a more permanent design approach than anticipated.
Built into a steep rock face, the unforgiving rugged west coast became a metaphor for the challenging build process.
Status: Built
A bespoke infill housing project in Auckland’s leafy Mt Eden.
Status: Built
The JLG Science Center is a world leading research hub for neuroscience. It is part of phase 1 of a comprehensive master plan that is transforming the Manhattanville neighborhood.
Design Concept
Renzo Piano’s concept was for a transparent ‘open’ architecture that would fit seamlessly within the existing city grid. The structural details pick up on the DNA of the surrounding industrial landscape of factories, subways and viaducts.
The JLG Center features the first major double skin facade in the USA. It comprises research laboratories, an auditorium, roof terraces, a health center, a classroom and retail.
Status: Completed 2016 with Renzo Piano Building Workshop .
TT Architects were awarded first place in an invited international competition for a large mixed-use development in Nanning, CHINA.
The 411m signature super tall tower contains offices, serviced apartments and a 5 star hotel and atrium on the upper levels.
Design Concept
The genesis of the tower’s form is an opening seed pod inspired by two 100 year old Banyan trees within the site. TTA’s master plan concept captured the client’s imagination beyond their initial expectations and became a metaphor for an auspicious 'new' beginning on an undeveloped site.
Status: Proposal ongoing
A competition entry for a new gateway into New York’s Chinatown which is located on a busy Manhattan intersection..
Design Concept
This tiny information kiosk/gallery space is based on a humble yet globally recognized icon which comments on the mass consumption of Chinese culture in everyday Western life.
Status: Competition
TTA was approached to design a large apartment development in Jinan, PRC.
This mixed use development is conceived as a courtyard configuration inspired by the Tulou dwellings of Fujian. The perimeter block typology allows for a generous, landscaped, open internal courtyard that allows public access through the city block, thus avoiding the creation of another gated community which is prevalent in China. This mega courtyard urban typology also creates continuous retail active edges, allowing for lively urban road frontages at ground level. Residents will have access to roof top sky gardens and extensive communal facilities.
Status: Proposal: Year 2016
Under the framework of the AUP, TTA has designed a 26 unit apartment development in the seaside suburb of St Heliers. There is a mix of 1,2 and 3 bedroom units ranging in size from 58sqm to 111sqm.
Rather than place a large, centralised block of luxury apartments within the site, we have proposed an L shaped building with a continuous corner street frontage and north facing central courtyard for the residents. The larger apartments enjoy all day solar access with expansive balconies overlooking the courtyard.
To respect the neighbours, the building form steps down towards the boundaries thereby also reducing mass and bulk.
St Heliers is part of the eastern bay area and is a prime suburb therefore demands a high standard of design and Architecture to meet the market expectation and local residents expectations.
Status: In progress
TTA was asked to design an apartment building for this site in Auckland's North Shore. Having just been newly zoned, we proposed a mixed use typology consisting of 5 levels containing 25 residential apartments, small office tenancies over 2 levels and a 80 sqm retail space at ground floor.
The building is conceived as a C-shaped, central courtyard plan allowing good northerly solar access into the courtyard and apartment balconies. There is a 1 level basement car park under.
Status: Proposal
TT Architects were awarded first place in an invited international competition for a large mixed-use development in Nanning, CHINA.
The site is located next to a river close to the main city.
Design Concept
The master plan was developed as an undulating landscape that is layered over car parking, mechanical plants and street front retail. Above the gardens residential towers grow organically to maximize sun, air and views. They spiral around the central Pod Tower which is the main focus of the site.
The 6 residential towers are grouped into 2 pairs of 3 and step-up from 143.3m to 168.5m in height. In total they contain 69,000sqm of residential floor area with each group sharing communal sky gardens, taking advantage of the cooling breezes in this subtropical location.
The towers are conceived as a screen of tall bamboo clusters. An adjustable filigree of terracotta louvres will screen the facades, provide shading and contribute to the perception of transparency and lightness of the Architecture. Lush tropical balcony plantings will help cool the apartments, filter the air and further enhance the appearance of green towers.
Status: Proposal ongoing
The proposal is for 30 terrace houses in Albany, Auckland. The site is zoned Mixed Housing Urban under the now legislated AUP and as such allows for the appropriate intensification that Auckland needs.
Based on the 1 type, there are 6 variations in plan to allow for a mix of 2-3 bedrooms and 2-3 levels units arranged off a new ‘internal street’ that is conceived as a communal, shared zone. All terraces have good connections to private outdoor space and yards.
The Architecture is modest yet modern and minimalist
Status: In progress
Located in Afghanistan, this proposal is for a UNESCO cultural and education centre which overlooks the Bamyan Valley and the monumental 4-5bc Buddhas of Bamyan, 2 of which were dynamited and destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.
Our proposal is conceived as a monumental linear concrete form, entered via a long sunken ramp which descends down into a spiral entry void leading to the centre's entry lobby. The building is semi underground as it spans along the cliff edge and it is not until the visitor approaches the spiral that they start to get a sense of the building and the valley which it overlooks.
From the spiral they will catch glimpses of the vast cliff face and the monumental carved out Buddha niches beyond. These glimpses and framed, panoramic views continue as the visitor makes their way through the building's galleries, workshops, auditorium and resting areas.
Status: Competition
A competition proposal for the National WWI Memorial in Washington DC.
Design Concept
A series of trench-like walls of concrete and weathered steel create pocket gardens and areas for quiet contemplation.
Status: Competition
