Using NZ-made provided a premium system and finish to the 5-star Cordis Hotel in Auckland while navigating challenges through the construction process.
One of Auckland’s premier hotel and conference destinations, Cordis, opened its landmark 17-story Pinnacle tower in late 2021, increasing the hotel’s capacity to 640 rooms. This makes Cordis the largest hotel in New Zealand in terms of room count. The Pinnacle Tower, designed by New Zealand architects Jasmax, cost $170 million and offered Auckland’s central city a new level of 5-star accommodation. Behind the flashy exterior, various processes brought together the best in NZ design, construction, manufacturing, and commercial plumbing.
When designing the hotel, durability and trusted systems were prioritised by the designer, Philip Rutkiewicz, to ensure the longest lifespan of the fittings. Even with a concrete and steel structure, Jasmax was mindful of the impact of building movement and the potential risks of defects within such a large project. Philip considered the security that an Allproof shower tray provides, aiming to assure clients that their investment and revenue stream were well protected, aligning with the 5-star hotel’s goal of setting “a new benchmark for modern luxury in Auckland“. Based on this decision, the architectural team specified the Allproof Tile Over Shower Tray system for all 235 rooms of the extension.
Stainless steel shower trays offer excellent waterproofing features with a fully welded stainless steel impermeable layer falling to a flood-tested channel and spigot connected to PVC waste, virtually eliminating any risk of failures or leaks in this high-risk area. Other impervious solutions such as exposed stainless or acrylic trays have durability limitations in a high-use environment and often do not meet the interior design style demanded by a 5-star destination.
The Allproof stainless steel tray is installed over the flooring structure and below the tiles, with the selected waterproofing membrane running down the walls and lapped into the tray. This results in a fully watertight base below the tiles and behind the wall linings, while providing the aesthetic of a fully tiled shower.
Allproof was engaged in the design process early on, allowing time to plan the project. Although Allproof’s Tile Over Stainless Tray is usually custom fabricated to measure, given the scale of the project, another approach was required. Allproof developed 13 tray designs after several site meetings with the designer, main contractor, and plumber to find solutions and specifications to meet the very tight construction timeline. To accommodate the tight timeline, Allproof laser-cut in-house templates of the trays to suit all room layouts, ensuring a perfect fit once the trays arrived, with no installation delays. The template also included the ability to mark the outlet, allowing concrete cutters to make the floor waste penetrations and plumbing services to be brought to the point of the wastes.
Allproof helped develop a sample room for signoff from the overseas owner, Langham Hospitality Group, based in Hong Kong. Through this procedure, Allproof had the opportunity to refine the process and plan full-scale production. Hanlon Plumbing was contracted for the installation of the plumbing systems, emphasising the importance of the schedule and deadlines. To meet the project’s demands, Allproof dedicated 5 staff members of their 35-strong stainless fabrication team to the production of the trays, with their own in-house production timeline set to meet the one on site. Their workshop, comprising, among other plant and machinery, a laser cutter, several CNC press brakes, and a dedicated gluing room for the bases, meant that 235 tile-over-shower trays were fabricated over a 9-month period and completed ahead of schedule. Notably, not a single tray was rejected, a contractor’s dream!
This project demonstrates that with correct planning and selection, the use of trusted suppliers and proven contractors can ensure a project is completed ahead of time and delivered perfectly.
