New Christchurch Air Terminal

The Adelaide designed $110 million airport terminal begins to take shape at Harewood. The island's largest construction project is scheduled for completion in late 2010.

Photo credits: top; Rodd Taylor, bottom; dexigner.com

Airport Terminal Demolition

Plans have been announced for the replacement of the 1960 Christchurch International Airport terminal building. Designed by the modernist architect Paul Pascoe (1908-1976), the New Zealand Institute of Architects awarded him their Gold Medal for this building.

The $208 million redevelopment is scheduled for completion in late 2010.

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Christchurch Architect Peter Beaven reminisces about Paul Pascoe for the Architecture NZ magazine (article link opens in a new window).

"Well, one day during the early part of the war we were down in Sumner and I saw this bloke standing there – Paul Pascoe – and there he was, big tie, looking out to sea like Milton or something, you know, seeing poetry ... and he said to me, “Ah, young Beaven, what are you thinking of doing?” and I said “Well, I don't know really, I'm trying to be told”. He said “Come in to the office with me”. So we got on the tram and went in to his office and within two hours talking Paul Pascoe somehow made clear what I'd seen, who I was, what I should do.

Two hours with Paul, that was it. Pascoe was the one. He was a charismatic fellow who knew something that architects are not taught: that architecture was a mystery and a huge psychic need that people had to have. It's a performance. I can remember that I ran into Hedley Helmore who is another good old architect – you see Christchurch used to be good, now it's shattered of course, but that's another matter..."

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Comment from an expatriate Architect, now living in Australia.

I have recently come across your rather excellent blog on Canterbury Heritage. Being an ex-Christchurch resident now located in Melbourne, it is great to be able to keep up with the great achievements of individuals intent on keeping at least some of Canterbury's heritage known and discussed. Though, I have noted that your recent posts have failed to pick up on the imminent destruction of the Christchurch airport domestic terminal. 

Considering the new proposal is by Warren and Mahoney; the once great, though now utterly terrible, modernist architects, it appears some ethical debate regarding the destruction of a modernist legacy by an ex-modernist-still-pandering-their-wares-as-a-modernist has yet to be taken up by the local architectural fraternity let alone by the New Zealand Institute of Architects. 

After Sheppard and Rout's rather elegant extension to the international terminal, considering the difficulties of an airport, you might have thought it would have encouraged the airport authorities to once again reach further afield than a tabla rasa corporate identity. Here's hoping the recent economic woes can slow them down.

A further Architect's comment:

It's worth going out to the airport to see the rather confusing affair - brought about by the building of the new control tower (somewhere between the Chalice scuplture and a slipped disk) and the sudden proportions of the carpark building. 

Considering the way things are going in Christchurch - the revealing of, then cowardly destruction of the Tivoli Theatre, the replacement of the neo-Gothic prison at Addington for a future slum, the almost too close to call gutting of the museum, the populist stink that is the new art gallery, Cashel Mall's hopefull redevelopmet only to be turned into little Brisbane, the inevitable flop that will be the new City Council chambers and the current lot of high-rise towers now plumbing their foundations into the earth.... 

One must ask; what will the current generations built legacy be? A recent book that came out was Long Live the Modern on Modernist NZ architecture, as well as Sir Miles Warren's autobiography. Both great and important books to have, if somewhat incomplete, and lacking a foundation text. Maybe a post speculating on future built heritage would be interesting, especiallly if you can get other readers involved?

Two other buildings worth commenting on; Peter Beaven's Port Authority Tunnel administration offices and Shadbolt House in Lyttleton; both utterly fantastic. Beaven's metabolist satirical ship building, and Shadbolt house's constructivist theatricality, provide an important legacy to our built environment.

Curator's Choice

Occasionally to be seen in Christchurch second hand shops are mid-century Danish Modern dining chairs to the design of the Cabinetmaker Børge Mogensen (1914-1972).

The Teak chairs were imported in 1955 by Detachment One of the United States Naval Support Force, Antarctica for the Wardroom of the Commissioned Officers' Mess at Harewood (below).

Unrecognised as such and until now without provenance, these relics from the earliest period of the Operation Deep Freeze program currently attract little interest and fetch only nominal prices.

Harewood 1964

Borrowed from the R.A.F. for the 1955 film Reach for the Sky, the landmark 1945 Supermarine Spitfire graced the front lawn of the Canterbury Brevet Club building at the northern corner of Memorial Avenue and Russley Road from 1964 until 1984.

The Spitfire was subsequently replaced by a fibreglass replica, moulded from the aeroplane. Completely restored in 1984-85, the aircraft is now displayed at the RNZAF Museum at Wigram.

The replica was given to the people Christchurch when the club shifted from the building to the former Wigram air base's officers' mess in October, 1999.

Harewood 1966

LARGE IMAGE OPENS IN A NEW WINDOW

An aerial view of Christchurch Airport in the year that the overseas terminal was completed to the Left of the adjoining 1960 control tower and terminal.

From a recent series of nostalgic postcards by Terry Moyle and Rosie Louise of Contour Creative Studio at Kaiwaka.

Christchurch Airport Timeline

1935 Christchurch City Council selected the present site at Harewood.
1936 227 hectares of land purchased.
1937 A 915 metre runway and 60 square metre terminal constructed.
1940 Harewood Airport opened for commercial flying.
1940 Airport used by RNZAF as a Training Base until 1945.
1946 Passenger terminal opened in former RNZAF hangar.
1948 An additional 260 hectares of land purchased.
1950 December 16, Harewood Airport becomes New Zealand’s first International Airport - 100 years to the day from the arrival of the first Canterbury Association settlers.
1951 First regular South Island trans-Tasman flights begin from Melbourne to Christchurch.
1953 Christchurch hosted the "Great London to Christchurch Air Race" the first time the route had been traversed in less than 24 hours. The "last great air race" was won by an RAF Canberra bomber.
1955 United States Antarctic Operations begin in Christchurch. December 20 first Antarctic flight by US Navy Operation Deep Freeze.
1957 November 21, four killed in a SAFE Air Bristol freighter crash at Russley golf course.
1959 Burnside Road renamed Memorial Avenue as a memorial to the airmen killed in World War 2.
1960 New 6,000 square metre terminal opened.
1962 The main runway was extended to 2,442 metres providing for commercial jet operations.
1966 An International wing was added to the Domestic Terminal.
1975 Extensions to the Domestic Terminal were completed, extending the total floor space to 16,000 square metres.
1980 New International Arrival Hall completed providing an additional 2,800 square metres of floor space.
1984 Main runway extended by 845 metres to 3,287 metres.
1987 Terminal extended to accommodate Ansett New Zealand and Air New Zealand lounges and domestic air bridges.
1988 Christchurch International Airport Limited was established, as a company owned 75% by the Christchurch City Council and 25% by the New Zealand Government.
1988 International check-in and departure area extended by 2,320 square metres.
1989 International arrival area extended by 1,100 square metres and air bridges and associated facilities of 1,000 square metres added.
1990 International Antarctic Centre opened.
1997 Redevelopment of airport public carpark completed with an additional 340 parking spaces.
1998 New International Terminal Building completed creating an additional 28,000 square metres of new floor space.
2007 5.4 million passengers.
2008 Plans announced for the replacement of the 1960 terminal. With a 45 metre high control tower and a cost of NZ$195 million, the development will be completed in late 2010.

Christchurch Airport 1950s

Christchurch Airport at Harewood opened for commercial service in 1940, with passengers flying aboard a four engined de Havilland Dragon Express (above). However, the Second World War got in the way and it wasn't until the 16th of December, 1950 that the aerodrome officially became New Zealand’s first International Airport - a century to the day from the arrival of the first Canterbury Association settlers to arrive directly from London (a few had already arrived via Wellington, but our received history prefers to ignore that inconvenient fact).

From 1946 the passenger terminal (below) had been situated in a former RNZAF hanger about where the far end of the current overseas terminal now stands. It ceased to be used as such after the completion of a new terminal in 1960, but wasn't demolished until 1978.

Regular trans-Tasman flights began on the 29th of June 1951, when Tasman Empire Airways Ltd. chartered an aircraft from QANTAS (below). Under the command of Capt D. F. McMaster the Philippine Trader, a 42 passenger Douglas DC-4 aeroplane began a regular service between Melbourne and Christchurch (the 16 year old aircraft would eventually crash into the sea off Brindisi, Italy shortly after take-off in July 1962).

By 1953 TEAL (Air New Zealand since 1965) in conjunction with BOAC (now British Airways) was offering a three and half day service to London. Local Passengers connected with with a de Havilland Comet jet at Sydney and flew on via the Far East. It was an expensive alternative to a six week sea voyage and intending Christchurch passengers could expect a Travel Consultant from the airline to call upon them at home to discuss the various options.

A couple of distinguished thespians bringing Shakespeare to Christchurch's Theatre Royal; Dame Sybil Thorndike and Sir Lewis Casson in front of the original Control Tower in 1954.

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To promote the Christchurch City Libraries Retrospective: Christchurch life, architecture and design 1940s - 1970s photo competition, we're featuring a series of images from each decade. This week is the 1950s and next week we'll take a look at the 1960s.