The Ngai Tahu Property-owned Tower Junction shopping centre in Addington has recently unveiled a new look to customers in Christchurch.

The open-air shopping centre underwent an $8.5 million facelift, added about 2500sqm of space with two new buildings and revitalised parking lots.

“We referred to this project as the ‘ambience upgrade’ and we aimed to bring a fresh, modern style to the centre,” said Gavin Gillson, associate from Buchan’s Christchurch studio, which handled the design of the redevelopment.

Gillson said the project aimed to increase the large format retail area and provide a dedicated food and beverage offering, which previously was not provided.

“The larger new building in the centre of Tower Junction was designed to be flexible – providing a number of options for smaller or larger tenants to join the already-successful retailers, or for existing tenants to expand,” Gillson said.

“The height and mass of the buildings have been designed to reflect the existing style of architecture while adding an element of modern design and materiality.”

Gillson said the other new building houses food and beverage outlets to appeal to the lunchtime trade from surrounding business parks.

“The smaller scale design reflects a softer material pallet, using timber and vibrant colours, with extensive landscaping to further enhance the dining experience,” he said.

Gillson said aluminium screens were added to the iconic towers of the existing buildings, providing a simple solution to give Tower Junction an updated flavour without compromising the existing, welcoming feel.