Architecture, Interiors
Whether you're jetting off, heading home or working within it, the Regional Terminal at Christchurch Airport is designed to capture the thrill of adventure.
The antithesis of so many soulless and placeless transit spaces, Christchurch Airport Regional Terminal expresses its aeronautical identity and distils the essence of New Zealand’s South Island.
When Christchurch Airport and anchor airline Air New Zealand needed a new hub for regional air travel, BVN and Jasmax saw the project as an opportunity to represent the spirit of travel and New Zealand’s character.
Akin to its environs, the pared-back design is heroic yet humble, robust yet inviting, and suffused with natural light. The ‘landside’ exterior is neutral to complement a pared-back interior. ‘Airside’ presents an abstracted wing, echoing the prop-jet aesthetic of light planes that nose up to the glass.
There is an immediacy and efficiency about a terminal that opens directly onto the tarmac. Bringing the Dash 8 fleet up so close makes for a dynamic visitor sensation.
Brian Clohessy – Architect and now Head of People and Character
As the building links into Christchurch International Terminal, it is both a welcoming gateway for inbound travellers and a staging point for domestic and international journeys. An impressive concrete portal brings staff and passengers into a double-height and column-free internal space. Arrivals and departures are separated by a café and Air New Zealand’s Koru-express club, with easy connectivity between terminals.
Evincing contextual awareness and a strong sense of place, eminently suitable in scale and function, this building is an excellent portal to and from the regional airports of New Zealand.
2014 New Zealand Architecture Awards jury
Winner – Commercial Architecture – 2014 New Zealand Architecture Awards
Internally, resolution is deliberately down-to earth in form and materiality. Exposed concrete and steel find their counterpoint in tactile timbers and pods of bespoke furniture. Rest and relaxation are encouraged. Complete strangers can be comfortable in close proximity due to the organic shapes of soft furnishings.
There is deep consideration for the variety of ways people use the space. Some will grab a coffee and rush onto the tarmac to catch their flight...
...others might recline on curved banquettes, looking up at the ceiling, enjoying views out to the mountains.
With its crisp triangular folds, the ceiling is emblematic of the Southern Alps. Its large timber trusses reference wooden bridges found throughout the rugged landscape. The truss system supports high-level north glazing that allows daylight to penetrate deep inside. This structural element doubles as a dedicated goods transfer pathway from the ground level loading dock to the upper level of the domestic terminal and international retail areas.
The project is a clever answer to the logistical problem of transporting goods through the facility to the terminals; the Architects have turned this challenge into an opportunity to scoop light into the body of the terminal.
2014 New Zealand Architecture Awards jury
Christchurch Airport Regional Terminal celebrates the thrill of travel and beckons visitors to explore more of the South Island.
Masterfully deploying structure, material, colours and forms, the architects have produced a well-researched and delightfully creative interior that imparts a regional identity to the airport terminal.
Credits
BVN
Collaborators
Jasmax Architects
Collaborators
Jasmax Architects
Photography
John Gollings
Awards
NZIA New Zealand Architecture Award, Interior Architecture
NZIA New Zealand Architecture Award, Commercial Architecture
NZIA Canterbury Architecture Award, Interior Architecture