About the Project
Aspec delivered Toi Manawa – The Heart of the Arts, a landmark two-level performing arts facility at King’s College. The building comprises a 230-seat multi-use theatre with mezzanine, orchestra and rock rooms, a recording studio, dance studio, three classrooms, seven practice rooms, a head of department office, grand foyer, and full back-of-house facilities. Located on the edge of the rugby field, the project replaced the original music block, beginning with its demolition and the installation of 60 twenty-metre-deep screw piles to support the structure on challenging peat soils. These foundations carry the precast panel and steel frame construction, suspended mid-floor slab, and distinctive saw-tooth roof.

The architecture balances tradition and innovation. Full-height precast panels incorporate an in-brick system of cast-in brick slips, reflecting the college’s historic buildings. A free-standing perforated brick “speaker box” façade allows music to project across the campus when opened, while curtain wall glazing and composite cladding complete the envelope. Internally, oak veneer panelling and acoustic treatments define the spaces. The orchestra room features a dramatic light shaft with triangular roof lights, while the dance studio ceiling follows the saw-tooth roof profile above its sprung timber floor. The flexible theatre can be configured for traditional tiered seating, recessed central stage, or interactive flat-floor performances, with curved acoustic reflectors suspended from the ceiling.