The lobby of the AIA Tower at 34 Manners Street, Wellington has undergone a remarkable transformation. Michelle, Director of Optimum Interior Design, had the privilege of collaborating with clients who truly value their assets and tenants. The vision for the upgrade was expertly brought to life by Alaska Construction, resulting in an impressive and elegant new entrance.

A key feature of the design is the use of Ecchio Pearl 600 x 1200mm tiles — one of the top-selling ranges of premium Italian porcelain. These tiles feature a subtle, naturally varied veining that gives each piece a distinctive and refined character.

With a textured-look surface suitable for both wet and dry areas, and ideal for floors and walls, this selection was the perfect choice to enhance the space.

The lobby renovation has transformed a dated, dark, echoey space into a calm, warm, inviting transition zone for tenants. The space becomes a pause as they leave the busy street and move up into their respective workplaces. When pedestrians pass by, they are drawn to the warmth and light of the space, which before was cavernous and stark. Being in a busy central city location, the materials selections were key in providing durability, but also texture, acoustic comfort and warmth.

The Ecchio tile is such a versatile option, with great colours and texture, format and size options, durability and the R10 slip resistance is an added bonus. We looked at a few options but no other tiles gave us the wide format, colour and texture, and price point. It is a tile range that feels like it can be used across a variety of different spaces, and has been a great grounding element in the new fitout.

The result is a sophisticated and welcoming lobby that sets a new standard for the AIA Tower.

Michelle Hall, Director | Interior Designer, Optimum Lifestyle Ltd:

"I've always found working with the AS/TW team a fantastic, supportive experience. Their expertise shows in providing beautiful, fit for purpose options which fit with the clients budget. In this project in particular, Clare was able to help us work through cost benefits for whether we replaced the flooring back in the concept stage of the project. This helped the client to see the value in going with new tile flooring and gave us a beautiful, yet budget friendly option from AS/TW. Replacing the flooring has been really worthwhile for this project as it completely transforms the feel of the space. "