Built on an active geothermal field, the award-winning Wai Ariki luxury spa on Rotorua’s lakefront required materials that would endure in the extreme environment. For the entryway, designers RCG specified CoralTread entrance matting from Advance Flooring.

"The site is one of the most challenging environments for constructing a building," says Alex Liang, Project Architect for RCG. "The relentless presence of geothermal water and gases had an effect on every component on the building, so every material selected had to be exceptionally durable and resilient."

Materials also had to tell a story through te ao Māori design principles. The spa’s architecture reflects the legend of Ngatoroirangi, ancestor of the Ngāti Whakaue people, whose need for warmth prompted his sisters Kuiwai and Haungaroa to send baskets of glowing embers, the offspring of Ruaumoko, the god of volcanic energy, which became the source of the area’s geothermal fields.

CoralTread provided the perfect combination of material and aesthetics to fit with RCG’s vision. "The CoralTread matting is made from a really durable polyamide material," says Alex, "and the aluminium frame can withstand sulphur corrosion. We chose the darker onyx colour for the infills, and had the aluminium anodised black to provide a nice uniformity with the interior flooring."

Visitors to Wai Ariki are greeted with a dramatic entranceway that has a beautifully carved pare (lintel) 8 metres wide and 1 metre deep resting on two equally carved whakawae (uprights). The carving was crafted by the New Zealand Māori Arts & Crafts Institute in Rotorua, and brings together the story of the people, their ancestors and the land.

Inside, the absorbent CoralTread matting extends the width of the entry lobby, protecting the spa’s interior from dirt and moisture, and preventing slips and falls on the woven vinyl floor. "Our clients, Pukeroa Lakefront Holdings Limited, are intergenerational developers," says Alex, "and what they build needs to be there for the next generations to come. We have specified CoralTread multiple times now, and we know that it is designed for long-term performance and will stand up to the challenge of the geothermal environment."