Auckland Airport Transport Hub
Replacing the 1977 international ground level car park, the new Auckland Airport Transport Hub is destined to become the busiest in the country, with capacity for upwards of 10,000 vehicle movement every day. The 70,000m2 building covers 4 storeys, each of which is more than double the size of a rugby field. The double height ground floor will feature in the journeys of nearly everyone entering and leaving the international terminal, marking it as one of the most visually prominent buildings in New Zealand and bookending the travel experience for hundreds of thousands of international visitors every year.
The design of the Transport Hub talks to a narrative of ‘people will keep moving but the land will remain’, referencing the cultural framework of the airport. At the same time, the design has lines to reflect the ascent/descent of airplanes on the runways nearby. Indeed, a plane might be needed to get a glimpse of one feature of the transport hub, namely the 1.2 megawatt solar array on the roof, used to power EV charging stations and the 5-star Green attached office building.
The main car park building features perforated metal in two different colours. This extends to the concourse area on the southern side of the building, where they are joined by the large perforated fins that also feature on the office space.
In total, the Transport Hub has 8500m2 of facade. That’s a lot of perforated holes in an area located in a high wind zone, which is why comprehensive wind testing was completed at WindLab prior to design approval.
Two different variations of the dapple ‘dusk’ pattern are used to create the facade. The upper section uses Dusk +200% and the lower section uses Dusk +100%. Both are made from 4mm aluminium. They wrap around radiused corners and continue along the side where they simultaneously rise (take-off) and lower (land) to achieve the aeronautical aesthetic desired.
That aesthetic extends beyond the obvious, too. When viewing the transport hub from a distance, the upper facade, with its lighter colour powder coated finish and larger perforations, sits above the take-off trajectory and has the same hazy appearance of the sky and clouds. It's akin to the visual effect that makes mountains viewed at a distance possess a hazier outline as the amount of air you have to look through scatters the light before it reaches your eyes.
Below the take-off trajectory the darker coloured perforated panels appear clearer and better defined, as if you’re closer. Importantly, they allow a clearer glimpse through the facade and extend an invitation to travellers, welcoming them to the transport hub. This is emphasised further at nighttime when the blue LED lighting traces the travel trajectory of planes across the night sky (or car park facade).
The adjoining office building is screened with a combination of Dusk +200% and Dusk +100%. It continues the story being told with the Transport Hub but adds a varied response because of the use of the building behind the facade. Where a certain wall is used to open up the offices to the Airport, the perforated panels have been rotated by 90% and are used as fins. The approach maintains a design congruency while making the most of the sun’s path to allow natural sunlight into the offices but with enough shading to make sure occupants can still stare out at all the places. If that’s what they wanted to do, anyway. And who’d blame them if they did.
The Auckland Airport Transport Hub is a truly remarkable building and we’re incredibly proud to be a part of its story. Not least because it’s going to be a part of bigger stories, told by travellers from all over the world as they recount tales of their adventures to friends and family when they return home. They might not describe the Transport Hub or even think of it consciously, but subconsciously we know it’s an important part of their experience and when they give New Zealand the thumbs up, we’re pleased to have played our part.
