St James Theatre, Wellington

Installation: St James Theatre, Wellington

Specifier: Shand Shelton

Contractor: Hills Commercial

Product: Marmoleum by Forbo

Photographer: Paul McCredie

Forbo’s Marmoleum collection has been used to create a stunning new patterned floor at the St James Theatre in Wellington. The project was undertaken by Shand Shelton, who has been involved in the restrengthening of the theatre since 2016, with the construction phase beginning in 2019. However, the scope for a new, replacement Marmoleum patterned floor was not introduced until October 2021, just 10 months before the theatres re-opening and at the height of material supply challenges caused by Covid-19.

Despite these challenges, Shand Shelton designed a beautiful new floor that perfectly complements the theatres existing design features. The original Marmoleum patterned floor was first installed as part of the theatres redevelopment in 1998 and was a key design feature of the foyer space. The new Marmoleum patterned floor had to continue this role as the lead design feature, with colour selection playing a significant role.

With over 300 patterns and colours to choose from, Shand Shelton was able to meld the neutral, modern setting of the foyer spaces, integrating colours of warmth and golden highlights which harked back to the auditorium palette, connecting the spaces.

The multipurpose nature of the foyer space, combined with its existing spatial irregularities, meant that the new Marmoleum design had to be successful as a standalone element. The patterning had to be intricate enough to animate the space but simple enough to encompass the foyers vastness. The design also had to be practical and consider the installations time frame.

To achieve this, Shand Shelton produced three different pattern components which would interlock and be repeatable. Each pattern was an evolution of layers of the previous, allowing for the most complex pattern to be centred within the space, aligned with the main entrance, the pattern reducing to its core rhythmic design motifs as it cascaded outward to the periphery.

The new café and bar joinery unit not only provided an opportunity to restore the theatres hospitality functionality but incorporated the new Marmoleum flooring uniquely and innovatively. The flooring extension onto the bar joinery was a bold design choice that paid off, creating a cohesive and visually striking space. The intricate patterns and warm colour tones of the Marmoleum flooring beautifully complemented the wooden bar joinery and created a welcoming and inviting atmosphere for visitors.

To assist in its installation, the bespoke pattern was converted to a cutting schedule, with all 2000+ individual pieces waterjet cut and numerated. The design and installation process demonstrated the true breadth of possibilities Marmoleum offers, with limitless design flexibility and, with good planning, simple installation. Marmoleum proved its enduring worth both in 1998 and again in 2022.

Forbo’s Marmoleum collection is a high-performance resilient flooring and surface material with ultimate sustainability credentials and incredible design options. Made from 97% natural ingredients, Marmoleum is Carbon Neutral -cradle to gate, making it the ideal sustainable flooring choice for this unique project.

Congratulations to Hills Commercial and Shand Shelton on an exceptional result, thank you for choosing Forbo’s Flooring Systems, Marmoleum.