colour of travel

A fundamental idea of the facility builds on the common rituals of travel – checking in, exploration and excitement, meeting new people – and looks to build them into the accommodation experience.

To this end ‘check-in’ kiosks and free high-speed Wi-Fi are utilised, capsule-style dorms have been designed, and a large communal lounge area complete with ‘hammock farm’ and communal kitchen are included. As well as the 128 Japanesestyle capsule pods within 16 dorm rooms, there are 55 more conventional single, double and family rooms with ensuites.

While the base build portion of the project was design build with Arrow International taking the lead, the fitout design was undertaken directly between Archaus Ltd and Jucy. Four concept designs were generated initially for the central common area, with the final scheme decided on being reminiscent of an urban café that shifts to the feeling of an outdoors playland. Floor coverings refer to the Canterbury Plains from the air, while the hammock forest provides a unique place to relax, plug in, communicate, chill out.

The colour scheme for this project was largely based upon the existing corporate branding of Jucy Group, using the green, Resene Lima (lime green), and purple, Resene Belladonna (fuchsia pink), to define feature areas and zones in Resene Lumbersider low sheen waterborne paint. Green and purple are used to differentiate between elements on the elevations, and bold usage of green was used to the exterior and the interior of the main common area and dormitory wings.

The remainder of the palette was reasonably muted, with greys and off-whites of Resene Zylone Sheen in Resene Quarter Black White (greyed white) on plasterboard, Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Half Concrete (silver grey) on interior precast panels and Resene Gravel (dark grey) on plasterboard in wet areas and on exposed steelwork in Resene Lusta-Glo semi-gloss enamel. These were chosen to accentuate the punch of the greens and purples. Steelwork was finished in an intumescent system of Resene Armourcote 220 and Firetex 2002.

The green exterior cladding initially was intended to be factory applied, however given that it was a special colour mix, there was a minimum supply run which far exceeded the volume required for the project. Resene provided a colour match as a site applied finish using Resene Armourcote 220 and Resene Uracryl 403, which provided a huge saving.

This project won the Resene Total Colour Commercial Interior Retail + Public Colour Maestro Award.

The judges said: “Crisp, fresh and clean, like a crunchy apple, this project has used colours with zesty appeal. Incorporating the Jucy brand colours, there is no mistaking where the colours hail from for instant brand recognition. Their use is reinvented to perfectly respond to the market of young travellers. One colour excites the other. The neutrality of space highlights the brand colour and provides space and a sense of anticipation for things to happen. Colour is used to full advantage, while still allowing plenty of scope for travellers to bring in their own colourful attire and personalities without overwhelming the space.”