Westfield Queensgate is Wellington's largest enclosed shopping centre, located 15km away from the CBD in Lower Hutt. Developed in August 2006, it features over 180 retailers, SKYCITY cinemas, a food court, four major retailers and over 1,850 car spaces. The mall dates back to the 1980s, built as a single storey 'street' with two extensions added later.
Beca provided structural and civil engineering services when Westfield first embarked on updating the centre in 2004. The redevelopment involved demolishing most of the existing structure and refurbishing the existing two-storey building to retain the existing mall entry.
The main challenge was working within an operational mall and to the fast track client design and build programme. This deadline largely dictated the structure to be used, a K-braced steel frame with concrete floors and a steel portal frame. Steel was selected over pre-cast concrete beams as lead times were much shorter.
The structural design also catered for the flexible space requirements of retail tenancy management and likely future requirements. A big span, minimum column philosophy, with concrete filled square column maximised retail space and minimised disruption to tenant areas. Beca also provided construction monitoring and on site construction engineering assistance, resolving issues more effectively and forming good working relationships with not only the client and architect, but also sub-contractors and cost managers.
Beca's commitment to the design as well as their upfront communication style assisted in the delivery of 51,458m2 of retail and leisure space, helping to position the centre as Hutt Valley's first-choice shopping and lifestyle destination.