Christchurch Airport’s Regional Terminal provides the gateway for visitors to the South Island’s tourism destinations, such as Nelson, Wanaka, Hokitika, Blenheim, and the Chatham Islands. Connecting to the International and Domestic Jet terminals, the regional terminal is both a welcoming place of arrival for inbound travellers and a staging point for domestic and international journeys. The design distinguishes the regional terminal, taking inspiration from the surrounding landscape, most notably the Southern Alps, whose majestic profile is reflected in the distinctive folded timber ceiling.
An impressive concrete portal marks the landside entrance, leading passengers into the double-height, column-free interior lined in timber and overlooking the tarmac. Providing a sense of openness and warmth through floor-to-ceiling glazing, this space is intended to build anticipation by bringing travellers up close to the turbo-prop aircraft of Air New Zealand’s regional fleet.
The flexible and efficient terminal includes a departure area, an arrivals and baggage claim area, a central café and Air New Zealand’s Koru Express Lounge, flanked by baggage handling and a loading dock at either end. A large glulam timber truss, inspired by the South Island’s historic bailey bridges crossing the Alps-fed rivers, supports a goods transfer gantry. This connects the ground-level loading dock to the upper-level retail areas in the adjoining domestic and international terminals. This structure holds the terminal roof, which elegantly tapers up to the north, allowing sunlight to flood the space below.
