Entry matting for an aviation environment

With 450,000 users every year, New Plymouth Airport’s new passenger terminal required flooring to withstand a high intensity of use.

The new terminal building by Beca brings together the poetic and the practical in form, detail and materials. The architecture is informed by the local Puketapu legend of Tamarau and Rongo-ue-roa, and the joining of celestial and terrestrial bodies. A powerful metaphor in an airport context, the story is represented sculpturally in the soaring roof, sweeping plan, green walls and landscape forms.

‘We have embedded cultural narratives into the building form and materials,’ says project architect Campbell Craig. ‘At the same time, we needed to design a natural and efficient wayfinding path for passengers, to guide them through the building.’ Materials selection was part of the mastery of getting spaces to work at both a design and a practical level.

The airport services nearly half a million passengers a year, so durability was key. ‘We were going to have a lot of people walking over the same pathways with trolleys and bags with wheels,’ says Campbell. Absorption was another key consideration. ‘We needed something to absorb a good amount of water, as there is a lot of rain in Taranaki.’

The architects specified Advance’s EverTread entry matting in two contrasting colours, red and granite, in order to create a puhoro in plan that originates in the entry lobbies, ‘so as soon as you enter the building you are guided by the puhoro curve along your journey’. The curve is aligned with the traditional iwi path from the mountain to the mouth of the Waiongana stream, imbuing the interior concourse with deeper symbolism.

EverTread provides a range of advantages for high-traffic areas. Polyamide inserts reduce slip hazards while absorbing good amounts of water tracked in on shoes and trolley wheels. An aluminium system means it is simple to install, and it can be rolled up for cleaning. And because EverTread can be cut and joined to look seamless, the integration of custom designs was easy to achieve.

—

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

EverTread is an architectural heavy-duty entrance matting system designed for performance and durability. It is one of the most efficient entry matting solutions on the market and cleverly engineered to roll up for ease of cleaning. Read EverTread specifications.

—

CREDITS

Project: New Plymouth Airport

Architect: Beca

Product: EverTread

Photographer: Mark Scowen

Writer: Folio