THE NURAGRID SOLUTION AT ELIZABETH TOWERS, TAURANGA
Project Overview
Picnicka is a modern, high-energy bistro located within the Elizabeth Towers development in Tauranga. The restaurant includes both indoor and outdoor dining, with a large wraparound terrace.
The terrace sits over a waterproofed membrane and was originally finished with a floated tile system. Within months of opening, the surface started to fail, creating ongoing safety concerns and disruptions for the business.
Challenge: Ongoing Tile Failure and Safety Risks
The project presented several key performance and safety challenges:
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The current floated tile system (not Nurajacks) became unstable under daily foot traffic, with pedestals compressing over time and tiles starting to wobble, shift and in some cases flip or break
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Failures were frequent, leading to constant maintenance and replacement, along with serious safety risks—including an incident where a customer was injured after a tile dislodged
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As issues continued, staff and customers felt unsafe using the space, and temporary measures were needed to manage risk. This also started to impact the overall experience and perception of the restaurant
“We constantly tried to fix and maintain and replace tiles… it just kept giving up.” – Rob Hill, Picnicka
Point-supported pedestal systems can struggle in high-traffic commercial environments. In this case, the lack of consistent support beneath the tiles led to ongoing failure.
Solution: Rebuilding with Nurajack and Nuragrid
The existing system was removed in stages and replaced with Nurajack adjustable pedestals and Nuragrid panels. Together, these created a raised platform that provides continuous support beneath the 20mm porcelain tiles.
The work was carefully planned to avoid disruption. Existing tiles were reused and installation was carried out overnight in sections, allowing the restaurant to continue operating. The full terrace upgrade was completed within a week.
With Nuragrid in place, the tiles now sit on a continuous subfloor that spreads loads evenly and removes the point loading that caused the original failures. The system is still raised and removable, so access to the membrane and drainage below is maintained.
In key areas, tiles were adhered to the grid to improve stability. This helped lock in the perimeter, manage tricky edge conditions and support smaller cut tiles.
Outcome: Safe, Stable and Built to Last
The terrace is now solid underfoot, with no movement, breakages or ongoing maintenance issues. Safety has been significantly improved for both staff and customers.
“It’s been great… just a simple thing like walking on a solid floor.” – Rob Hill, Picnicka
Moving to full-surface support has made the difference, giving the system the consistency needed for a busy commercial environment.
The Elizabeth Towers project demonstrates how Nurajack and Nuragrid can resolve instability in high-traffic commercial spaces. By improving support across the entire area, the system turned an unreliable terrace into a safe and consistent finish.
For projects where safety, durability and long-term performance matter, Nuragrid provides a dependable foundation for outdoor spaces.
To watch a webinar that was filmed live on location at Elisabeth Towers go to: https://youtu.be/ruAoQH0B5jA?si=74P-43ON9V8aNNqS