Mount Gambier is located halfway between Adelaide and Melbourne and strikes the ideal balance between the vibrant lifestyle of a big city and the comforts of a small town, between cultural progress and tradition; and modern conveniences and the preservation of natural beauty.
People are drawn to the Limestone Coast region to connect with its majestic coastline, subterranean geological wonders, fertile soil, famous wine, and industry.
Ashley Halliday Architects were commissioned to design a new air terminal as part of the Mount Gambier Airport redevelopment project.
As a gateway to the region, the project represented an unprecedented opportunity to celebrate the Limestone Coasts’ unique essence and to amplify its stories to the world.
Ashley Halliday Architects’ design approach was innovative and unexpected, designed to optimize travelers’ connection and experience with the Limestone Coast region.
The architecture comfortably introduces and immerses travelers in the region’s unique natural, geological, cultural, and historical features, creating a unique and memorable experience that makes people want to visit, re-visit and engage with the region’s diverse environment, culture, and commerce.
Travelers’ first impression of the region is welcoming and special, greeted by a dynamic extruded building form that sits comfortably within the region’s rolling landscape.
Complimentary curved inflections in the facade clearly define entry points.
Referencing the region’s predominant sustainable forestry industry, travelers pass by an abstract forest of radiata pine columns and once inside the terminal are immediately immersed in the region’s spectacular geological wonders.
What’s beneath the Mount Gambier region is like nowhere else in the world – a spectacular labyrinth of limestone caves, chambers, and sinkholes.
Linking this identity with the terminal is a dramatic circular skylight over the arrivals hall, abstractly reminiscent of the atmosphere created at the nearby Umpherston Sinkhole.
Lined in charred timber and surrounded by a curtilage of expanded black mesh, daylight will filter through the hole and create a dramatic and unexpected atmosphere.
The Mount Gambier Regional Air Terminal was the Council’s largest-ever infrastructure project.
To maximize this community investment, the lack of daytime purpose between scheduled morning and evening aircraft movements has been addressed through a series of adaptable spaces.
A multi-modal space located adjacent to the sinkhole hosts a cafe, bar, tourism service, brand display, art gallery, commercial kitchen, and function space that can be readily re-configured.
It has already hosted functions, community events, helicopter FIFO lounges, and more, allowing the Council to see greater use and return on investment as demand for flights continues to vary widely.
The terminal has been designed to accommodate future security requirements with the subtle integration of secure swing gates, pass-back corridors, and security throats that still allow visitors to pass through the terminal effortlessly in its current configuration.
The Mount Gambier Region is a cooler climate that sees higher rainfall and darker days than much of South Australia.
As such the exterior cladding utilizes large amounts of clear polycarbonate to introduce as much natural light as possible and reduce artificial lighting.
Large sweep fans combined with operable louvers allow the terminal to be naturally ventilated on temperate days, unusual for an air terminal.
This is combined with a 55kw solar array and a bore water connection, further reducing the building’s carbon footprint.
Project Details
Project Size – 1,800 m2
Project Budget – $5,000,000
Building Levels – 1
Completion Date – 2021
Project Team
Architecture and Interior Design
Ashley Halliday Architects
Ashley Halliday Architects is an acclaimed contemporary architecture and interior design practice rapidly drawing attention for its high profile and award-winning work.
www.ashleyhalliday.com
Photography
Peter Bennetts
Peter’s architectural images have been described as having “a remarkable crystalline stillness” and he is known for his “straight-shooting” style of architectural photography, focusing on the formal, material, and atmospheric qualities of a project.
Photo Gallery
Click on a thumbnail image to enlarge.
Design © 2022 Ashley Halliday Architects. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2022 Peter Bennetts. All Rights Reserved.
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