The Cloud

The Cloud is a multi-purpose event venue located on Queen's Wharf on the Auckland waterfront and was built as one of the centrepieces of the hospitality and 'party zone' facilities for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Red Steel were asked to submit a joint tender alongside Jasmax, Fletcher Construction, Wade Design Engineers and Fabric Structure Systems and despite significant public controversy, the ‘cloud’ design was chosen and completed within one year.

Red Steel’s award-winning 3D Tekla models created by Hugh Paterson were integral for other elements of the structure’s fabrication and successfully overcame a number of highly complex design challenges including the need for the structure to be deployable, broken down into seperate buildings, be movable and able to be reused in new locations if required.

Each of the 33 main frames are unique and a wave effect is created through height variances in the columns. While the structure is a massive 4,0000m2, only 156 tonnes of steel was used - the majority being dual grade hollow section steel.

In addition to being exposed and thus requiring a high finishing standard, no sharp edges were allowed because of the soft nature of the PVC fabric roof.

Although designed to be a temporary structure, ‘The Cloud’ has since become a much-loved icon on Auckland’s waterfront and stands as a testament to the creativity and technical expertise of the Red Steel team and our partners on this innovative and ambitious project.