Exploring The Crossing in the heart of central Christchurch is always a pleasure. Wandering through the laneways, courtyard and upper-level array of shops and eateries, you never know what you might find.

Newly opened on the first floor is Elements by IHF, located just across the arcade from the IHF Health Club. Launched two years ago, the club offers a ‘best of everything’ health and fitness experience to its members. ‘Everyday luxury’ is the tagline, and that same ethos can be seen at play in Elements too, from the warm cedar used in the fit-out to the leather-covered dining chairs, ash-topped tables, fluted blue velvet booths, and green living features. Both club and café, owned by Dan Hood, complement each other very well. Elements is the latest chapter in IHF’s brand of excellence story.

With a design that embraces the arcade environment, Elements by IHF feels welcoming and luxurious. Over coffee with IHF’s Group General Manager Adam Prince and builder Nick Hoogervorst, Adam explains that the thinking behind this new offering was to present a contemporary style of New Zealand cuisine in an inviting deluxe setting. “Our health club offering is more nutrition-focussed, whereas the emphasis here is a little broader though, of course, it’s still all healthy product too, seasonally focussed and using fresh local produce.”

Open seven days from 8am to 3pm, the Elements menu offers an inspired choice of Kiwi favourites with a twist, starting with breakfast tempters like cinnamon and rhubarb porridge, banana brioche French toast, and butternut squash gnocchi. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian options are all well covered, and there’s a great choice of nutritious sides, smoothies (raw cacao, berry, green matcha), fresh juices (green, orange, and red) and Allpress coffee.

Designed by Wilson and Hill Architects (Stuart Hay), the café fills a space that was previously vacant on this level. The makeover is elegantly in sync with the surrounds, including the iconic Bubbles façade, pre-existing steel framing and the nearby health club with cedar detailing. The café’s curved bulkhead, servery and entry wall are all beautifully finished in cedar.

Hoogervorst Builders’ trademark skill and craftsmanship is evident in the quality of the finish. As Nick explains, a fit-out like this requires exactly the same level of detail as is required for high-spec architectural housing, along with the discipline to deliver to set project deadlines.

“You’ve got to hit those marks and work together as a team,” says Nick.

“We were fortunate to work with a well-put-together team – it made my job really enjoyable. The team effort was led by Dan and Stuart, who were very involved and particular about the details and what went in. That made everything on site quite easy from our perspective.”

Nevertheless, bringing a project together in a busy central city location inevitably comes with its own set of challenges. “It takes a lot of communication and pre-planning to ensure that things will work. The whole team needs to be well-coordinated.”

HALSWELL TIMBER
Local supplier Halswell Timber supplied the stand-out Western Red Cedar, to the length and smooth finish specifications required by the builder to complete this high-end contemporary hospitality project.
*halswelltimber.co.nz*

Elements by IHF is well set up to attract people passing through, as well as the health club’s members, whose ranks have grown substantially since it opened. The health club’s living walls are echoed at Elements with statement planters, a green corner oasis and a tranquil water feature.

“Natural features like this are part of our brand identity,” says Adam.

Natural light and statement lighting has been well-balanced to create a relaxing ambience in the interior.

As well as catering for the breakfast/brunch/ lunch market, Adam says Elements is poised to become a superb functions space. It can be neatly closed off from the arcade for evening functions. Elements comfortably seats 70, and its head chef, who was previously based in Melbourne, leads a highly experienced team.

“We have an engagement party for 60 people coming up and are also in discussions to hold a winemakers’ dinner in the near future. Looking ahead, we think Elements will be ideal for Christmas get-togethers, cocktail parties, and other such functions.”

MONTREUX FURNITURE
The stunning bespoke dining and lounging inclusions created include steel table bases, American Ash timber tops, and DL dining chairs covered with premium NZ leather from Tasman Tannery, beautifully complemented by fluted velvet booths.
*montreux.co.nz*

This café in the heart of our city, on the first floor of The Crossing, is a lovely find. I suspect it is already well on its way to becoming a sought-after hospitality stop for locals and visitors alike. Another great addition to our ever-developing inner city.

A place to savour