BVN has achieved shortlist success in the International Yacht & Aviation Awards 2015. design et al are delighted to announce that the Australia-based architecture company will compete in the Airport Lounge / Terminal category.

The functional brief was to provide the terminal hub for regional travel, but also to design a memorable and emblematic New Zealand space as this is the staging point for many international visitors to the major destinations of the South Island.

Airside is designed as a refined abstracted wing, which sits quietly but in affinity with the propjet aesthetic. Emblematic of New Zealand, the narrative chosen was to abstract natural forms related to the South Island, where the Southern Alps, which are the backdrop for the airport, are expressed in the folded form of the ceiling.

The large timber truss is expressive of the old timber trussed bridges found throughout the South Island and the organic forms of the café and the bespoke seating are found along the coastline as the forest meets the ocean with kelp swaying at the ocean edge.

The truss functionally provides a dedicated access pathway for goods that need to be taken from the ground level loading dock to the upper level of the domestic terminal retail. The truss also provides high level glazing ensuring direct sun – especially in winter – can penetrate deep inside the terminal.

The arrival and departure passenger flows are separated by a café and an Air New Zealand “Koru-express”. Escalators link transit passengers to and from the regional and international terminals.