Lifetime achievement award: Paris Magdalinos, Architect

Paris has had close ties to the Nightingale family for decades, and built a strong professional relationship with Resene in the late 1980s and early 90s as the NZIA National Awards Convener and NZIA Councillor responsible for Resource Development. This saw Resene partner the NZIA awards programme, helping to raise the profile of both organisations over the years.

The practice of PMA was established in its present format in 1989, after restructuring a larger multi-disciplined design office. Since then, the practice has consolidated in Napier, while expanding throughout New Zealand.

Epitomised by strong images, forms, colours and shapes – Paris fervently believed in John Ruskin’s words that “all architecture proposes an effect on the human mind, not merely a service to the human frame”.

Using colour both to articulate forms and inject an essential humanity and personality to the architecture the use of the colour became a key signature. At times the resulting custom colour mixes presented an interesting challenge for the local Resene ColorShops and painting contractors – but through Paris’ vision the attention to hue, chromacity and value, created something memorable.

PMA continue to bend over backwards to ensure their buildings do more than just enclose space, but they do so with dignity, conviction and quality, at a realistic cost.

PMA do this because it preserves their legacy and that of Paris, and their client’s reputation for excellence, their aspirations for quality and their sense of place in the community.

Architect’s Office: PMA, Napier

Food Centre of Innovation: Eastern Institute of Technology, Napier

Gisborne Courthouse

Hague Building: Napier Girls High School

Walker Building: Napier Girls High School

House at Ohiti

Ruatoria Hearing Centre

Architects: Paris Magdalinos Architects
Project: Resene Total Colour Awards 2010

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