The Blyth Performing Arts Centre is a 400 seat concert chamber and assembly hall. Its sculptural form, innovative interior spaces and outstanding acoustics create an exciting new place for music and theatre performance for Iona College, and a valuable asset to the wider community of Havelock North.

The School came to us looking to create a “centre of musical excellence” through the creation of a well-equipped, well-tuned Concert Chamber designed specifically for unamplified sound - chamber music, choral singing, speaking,  while also accommodating other performing arts.

The building sits amidst the trees on a gentle slope near the entry to Iona College as a new symbol and public gesture of welcome. The strong sculptural language of sinuous curves and angled planes is drawn from the shapes of musical instruments and the folded landscape of Te Mata Peak. The great metal roof is bent and shaped into a form that is taut yet graceful, and resonant with energy.

The Entry Foyer is a dramatic double height space which emphasises the 'sense of occasion'. It is a flowing space with areas for reception, bar, sitting and gathering. The expanse of glazing orientates and connects the Foyer to the landscape beyond.

The Concert Chamber is a generous and elegant room with finely tuned acoustics. It has tiered seating for 300 people in the centre and a further 100 seats around the balcony, creating an engaging theatrical atmosphere. The asymmetrical curved ceiling and angled walls give the space a sculptural quality and a sense of spatial intrigue.