DuPont Corian, available from CASF Australia was specified for creating several furniture elements within the new facilities developed for passengers at Canberra International Airport. DuPont Corian was chosen for its design flexibility, especially its ability to curve and add fine detail to the geometric design developed for the seating and table elements in the main waiting area.

The new facilities were designed by Guida Moseley Brown Architects (GMB) based on a project brief to create a world class international departure lounge and arrival hall that provided the public with a high quality travel experience typically reserved for business and first class passengers. The new 2,750-square-metre international public departure lounge and 2,400-square-metre arrival hall build upon the geometric dynamism and light-fill quality of the existing terminal’s main hall.

Corian was selected for the project as the nature of the material could provide good looking high quality durable surfaces that would be easy to maintain and repair for the long-term. According to Rob McLachlan of GMB, the firm worked closely with experienced Corian fabricators to prototype elements and mock-up full size modules; the outer Corian shell of the seating modules provides a protective shield to the internal timber surfaces, making a practical and elegant combination.

Mr McLachlan observed that the project helped showcase the sheer versatility of the Corian material, and that it can be used to construct a diverse range of built geometries, including small radius curved and faceted surfaces, with monolithic and panelised expression.