HAKA HOTEL
Auckland
Exterior Architectural Lighting
Located on Day Street, just off Auckland’s Karangahape Road, the former Haka Hotel became one of the area’s most recognisable buildings after dark. Its geometric façade was transformed through colour, creating a bold nighttime identity visible from the surrounding streets, motorway and nearby Lightpath.
❋ Project Scope
Lumenworks’ scope focused on the exterior façade lighting, developing a solution that worked with the building’s existing architectural grid. The aim was to use colour and light to strengthen the façade’s identity and create a memorable nighttime presence.
❋ Lighting Solutions
A combination of blue, red, yellow, green, white and pink light defines selected sections of the façade. By illuminating individual architectural zones, the lighting adds depth and rhythm while allowing the building’s geometric structure to remain the focus.
❋ Design Approach
Rather than lighting the building as one continuous surface, the design uses individual sections of the façade to create a composition of illuminated blocks. The approach complements the building’s Tetris-like geometry, with colour references also drawing inspiration from Mondrian and the nearby Lightpath.
❋ Project Outcome
The lighting transformed a relatively restrained daytime façade into a vibrant nighttime landmark. Visible from the surrounding streets and motorway corridor, the illuminated building gained a distinctive identity and became a highly recognisable presence after dark.
