The design of NorthWest invites a continuity between the shopping and the main street of open-air shops. This removes the traditional competition of mall versus main street that’s seen in some more traditional suburbs.
The centre opens onto a new shared public space with a town square and main street retail section. This brings together the best of both internal and street-based retailing environments. The idea is to help to continue to build on the town centre’s reputation as a leading business, retail and entertainment hub for the region.
The architecture has a balance of contemporary form with natural materials and themes derived from the local landscape. The interior design is also inspired by the natural environment. The features include exposed natural timber, black granite and stylised dappled leaf motifs and tiles which reference the beaches of Muriwai. This combines with vineyard trellises to symbolise the rich farming and agricultural connections with splashes of colour and organic materials.
Once completed, the development will have 11 zones of retail and commercial activity. These range from the town centre, bulky retail and trade based zones.
