Te Aro On Tap is a project situated on the repurposing of the Albemarle Hotel at 59 Ghuznee Street Wellington. The Albemarle had many historic uses but one that resonated with us was its vast history of being an Temperance Hotel.
The design is for day to day use but also acommodates for emergency service relief, the Albemarle has been transformed into a multi-purpose space, which functions as a water-bar in relation to the buildings original intent, and also have the capacity to store water in the case that it be needed. The space houses 4 large water tanks, which would hold approximately 200,000L of water. This would provide aid (give) to approximately 20,000 people if said disaster were to happen.
Water will be collected via an inclined glass roof. The public will be able to witness the collection and filtration processes as the water passes through a natural filtration feature on the main interior wall and then a suspended pipe before being stored in the tanks at the back of the building. The new, improved Albemarle will be a celebration of fresh water, a necessity that is ultimately taken for granted.