Sunday, December 12, 2010

Airports...


Inside the pumpkins at Wellington Airport. Has qualities similair to the secret lair of a 60's spy movie villain, but hey these people are using it. Also quite interesting and dangerous, is that one has no choice but to pass through the duty free store to get to this terminal.


A childhood favorite of mine, only people flying United Airlines to Chicago are treated to this Helmut Jahn design tunnel of neon tubes and pastel paint swatches.

3 comments:

  1. I get to experience this in Jan. I'm looking forward to see inside not just the orange glow of the outside

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  2. Yeah I totally got 'suckered' by the ultra reasonable prices at the mandatory walk through AKL duty free last night. A non-smoker, I even considered buying one of those giant packets of cigarettes. A bottle of pimms and cc had to suffice.

    I passed through the new wellington terminal a couple of weeks ago and actually really enjoyed the space. I'm not entirely sold on the fragmented wood paneling but it had a very nice feel inside - the relaxed and quiet atmosphere(acoustics win) coupled with the high ceilings and lighting gave it almost a churchy ambience, a place to meditate on the outrageous departure tax and pray that the winds don't affect takeoff too badly. From the outside, the copper shells are overkill but where you see the material creeping inside, and are able to view it at a reduced scale, it's pretty pleasurable.

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  3. I found it interesting as it was the first airport waiting area that didn't make a spectacle out of flight. Unlike most airport waiting areas the actions of the airport are not in display. Personally I found it disappointing as I am in love with flight, but to create a waiting area in airport that looks inward and blocks out the surrounding madness that travel can be, is quite unique, at least in my limited airport travels.

    I just started up reading Mario Salvadori's "Why buildings Stand Up" a great and well written refresher for those who have begun to forget about the applications of the math learned in structures.

    Hope you all are having a wonderful summer.

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