Refurbishment of ANZAC Lounge, Petone Working Men’s Club

The lounge is home to the Lower Hutt Returned Services Association (LHRSA) who occupy the space during regular club nights, and special events. The ANZAC Lounge also operates as an independent function facility hosting public meetings, conferences, wedding receptions, dance clubs and music events.

The project’s dual purpose programme as the LHRSA Club Room and a multi-purpose function room for the Petone Club presented a challenging brief between the specific requirements of a club room together with the broader requirements of a multi-purpose function room catering for various function types.

Within the ANZAC lounge there are three keys spaces, each positioned around the refurbished central bar. These spaces include the main conference space, dance floor and the quiet lounge.

The conference space and dance floor are designed to accommodate large groups in a conference, dining, dancing and performance setting with careful attention made to ensure acoustics are well managed through use of acoustic finishes applied to existing walls and ceilings together with full height curtaining.

The quiet lounge is tucked away behind the bar. This space is designed to both display the LHRSA’s memorabilia collection and provide a quiet and comfortable lounge setting, semi-removed from the busyness of the main function space. This space is enclosed and defined by the built-in joinery and squab seating, housing the LHRSA’s library collection, key memorabilia securely displayed within built-in joinery and a media display.

The LHRSA’s programme took precedence as the driving influence for the aesthetic design of the Anzac Lounge as this was the primary use for the space. The project’s poppy red, military khaki greens and charcoal were drawn from the RSA’s ‘Honour’ and ‘Spirit’ colour range released as part of the World War One 100 year centenary. The colour palette both respectfully celebrates the ANZAC spirit together with the cheeky sense of kiwi camaraderie alive and well in New Zealand today.

The green tones used throughout the project provide depth and definition to the key quiet lounge and conference spaces within the larger fit out, decorated in Resene Zylone Sheen in Resene Double Rice Cake. The Resene Ciderhouse green in Resene Zylone Sheen was carefully matched with the Jade Autex Composition Board to provide acoustic absorbing surfaces which seamlessly interchange throughout the space. Joinery was finished in Resene Aquaclear satin.

The Poppy Red hexagon tiles randomly scattered across the newly tiled bar represent the Flanders Poppy which was one of the first plants to grow and bloom in the mud and soil of Flanders – made famous by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in his poem ‘In Flanders Fields’. The Poppy is further represented in form and colour through the use of reds in the hexagonal carpet tiles and the red striped squab seating fabric which has a familiar weave used in the standard issue NZ Army woollen blanket.

A large contingent of the main and subcontractor personnel were members of the Petone Club which is evident throughout project in the care taken to deliver the intended vision and the quality of finish delivered as an end product.

Architectural specifier: Silverwood Architects
Building contractor: Freear Philips Ltd
Client: Petone Working Men’s Club
Painting contractor: Freear Philip Ltd
Photographer: Chris Coad Photography
Other key contributor – flooring supplier: Jacobson’s Flooring
Project: Resene Total Colour Awards 2017