The new multi-purpose Kaikoura Civic Centre is open plan and versatile containing a first floor museum, a second floor library and council offices on the top floor. The first Pres-Lam building to be made entirely of timber, innovation once again enabled the use of natural materials in spectacular natural surroundings.

Architecturally designed to represent a giant cray pot, the Kaikoura Civic Centre resists lateral loading through Pres-Lam walls spread around the structure. These walls are also the first use of cross laminated timber in a Pres-Lam structure. In order to provide strength where required, LVL was used in critical regions, another first for New Zealand.

The Kaikoura District Council envisaged a seismically strong, sustainable building that would be a tourist attraction in its own right but would be within the council’s budget. Through the use of timber engineering and Pres-Lam this is exactly what they got.

Image 1 (top): Render of street view.
Image 2 (right): The facade was inspired by traditional woven craypots.
Image 3 (below): Construction with the beautiful Seaward Kaikoura Ranges in the background .
photos via DesignBASE Architecture.