The design of NZI house was a response to its particular situation in Trafalgar Street’s long and varied architectural parade. The light, colours and maritime location o f Nelson were a more general influence.
The building establishes its own identity through the curved façade and the pediment or cornice element. A classical symmetry is suggested but not overwrought.
The curtain wall is elaborated by a sequence of layers. Externally framed sunscreens cast strong shadows and are proportioned to match the scale of adjacent buildings. The blue glass is transparent enough to allow the columns, spandrels and vertical blinds to read as a close layer, yet of a strong enough tint to afford privacy and solar control to the offices behind. At night the building is lit from within and without.