Wellington International Airport.
Wild at heart. That was the branding around Wellington International Airports innovative "Rocks" terminal when it came into being in 2010, and the project was appropriately named not just as a nod to Wellington's infamous weather but also due to the unconventional nature of the new terminal itself.
From its very genesis there was something different, challenging and intimidating about the project. The main driver behind the works was Lloyd Morrison, CEO of Infratil, the majority owner of WIAL (Wellington International Airport Ltd). Lloyd was never a man to accept average, often heard to say "if everyone likes it you haven't done your job properly". What Lloyd meant was, provocative designs can polarise people but it also creates great discussion, and in itself well created controversy is its own form of free marketing.
Collaborating with Lloyd in the creation of The Rock were the wonderful architectural companies Warren and Mahoney, and Studio Pacific Architects. When the first concepts were released to the public in 2007, Kadima saw the opportunity to work directly with the design team at Studio Pacific in order to coat tail on Lloyd Morrisons determination to be different. By creating great furniture which was not only highly functional but radically different in aesthetic terms, Kadima could not only win a good production contract but also showcase the Kadima design and workshop skills in a highly visible public space.
The rest is history. From early presentation of prototype ideas through the highly competitive tender process, to the final delivery of bespoke benchseats to the new terminal, the project was profoundly important and highly successful for Kadima. Each design challenge was met with robust solutions. These included Aviation security specifications which required design be taken to new levels to deliver a product that ticked all the boxes. Combined with use of premium New Zealand leather, polished hardwood ply, high grade aviation rated padding and formed steel legs, the main terminal seating has literally sat millions of behinds for over a decade.
It's still there today. Not one unit has been returned for failure despite incredibly heavy use. This is testament to what can be achieved if the client, the specifiers and the manufacturer reach a little further than the standard, and collaborate to achieve the ideal result.
