The Regional Terminal at Christchurch Airport, designed by BVN Donovan Hill in association with Jasmax, has received two awards at the 2013 Canterbury Architecture Awards.
A joint development between Air New Zealand and Christchurch International Airport, the Regional Terminal won the Commercial Award for being an “excellent portal to and from the regional airports of New Zealand”.
The jury also commended the architects for their subtle and sympathetic use of materials, as well as turning “the logistical problem of transporting goods through the facility…into an opportunity to scoop light into the body of the terminal.”
The other prize awarded to the project was the Interior Architecture award, with the judges noting that the building feels like “an appropriately South Island terminal” with references to the region’s geography, from the dark floors reflecting the river beds, to the timber ceiling panels that outline the window-edge silhouette of the Southern Alps.
A second Christchurch Airport project - the Integrated Terminal Project designed by Warren and Mahoney Architects in association with HASSELL - also won an award in the commercial category.
The convenor of the Awards jury, Christchurch architect Perry Royal, said the number of projects entered into the Awards was significantly higher than in the past three years.
“It seems we’re seeing the first wave of the Christchurch rebuild, and the good news from this year’s Canterbury Architecture Awards is that there is some excellent work being done by the region’s architects,” Royal said.
The 2013 Canterbury Architecture Awards is an official, peer-reviewed programmed of the New Zealand Institute of Architects. A total of twenty-one projects, including public swimming pools, houses and school buildings, were recognised at this year's awards.
