#Completed : Adelaide Airport

[Howie]

Scoop!!! Well done bradjc!

The airport looks amazing.

[Algernon]

Awesome pics mate. It's beyond me how you managed to run around the airport with a camera, without having ASIO bash down your front door.

[Pikey]

Jeebuss - looks scmhiko! Can't wait to be able to actually use this beeatch!

[Al]

Sweet photos! Thanks for those!

[BradJC]

I wasn't sure whether they'd allow the use of cameras. I didn't exactly ask for permission, but the dude who was leading our group said nothing whatsoever. So I happy snapped away.

There's some extra photos located here if you haven't already read on SkyscraperCity.

[stumpjumper]

AIX - failry bland and generic, but it will suit the architecture. You're called 'pax' btw when you fly on an aircraft - short for 'passenger/s'.

Nice shots of the new building. A pity it is such a boring design. It could be anywhere. And what's with the nozzles?? It says something about the blandness of the design when air-conditikoning outlets are the dominant feature.

It's too bad the building couldn't have accommodated the huge Vickers Vimy biplane which is languishing in a well-shielded and unsignposted building in the carpark. THAT would have given the Adelaide airport terminal something memorable and interesting, having the big biplane hanging over the entry area.

Still, the accountants and lawyers probably had their say: costs, public risk, blah blah...

It's worth remembering that if such considerations always won the day, most of the interesting and great buildings in the world would never have been built.

[Pants]

AIX - failry bland and generic, but it will suit the architecture. You're called 'pax' btw when you fly on an aircraft - short for 'passenger/s'.

Nice shots of the new building. A pity it is such a boring design. It could be anywhere. And what's with the nozzles?? It says something about the blandness of the design when air-conditikoning outlets are the dominant feature.

It's too bad the building couldn't have accommodated the huge Vickers Vimy biplane which is languishing in a well-shielded and unsignposted building in the carpark. THAT would have given the Adelaide airport terminal something memorable and interesting, having the big biplane hanging over the entry area.

Still, the accountants and lawyers probably had their say: costs, public risk, blah blah...

It's worth remembering that if such considerations always won the day, most of the interesting and great buildings in the world would never have been built.

Finally someone that agrees with me on the blandness of the new airport.

I don't have too many objections to what I've seen of the interior so far, but for our most public of buildings (well, at least one of those that should make as big as possible statement about our city) the exterior is as unimaginative as it comes.

I really hope that landscaping and art-work go some way towards addressing this, but am not holding out much hope.

[Waz]

Very nice pics, indeed!

[stumpjumper]

I'm with you, pants.

Modern airport facilities are always going to be big, voluminous buildings, because they have to cater for surges of human and vehicular traffic and because of the size and height of the aircraft the people arrive and leave in.

But those constraints should make it a design challenge to create something really interesting and of value to the community. Not only are interesting buildings good to be in, they make the destination memorable, with various positive spinoff effects.

Look at Eero Saarinen's design for the New York TWA terminal (who? what? - try googling Saarinen airport). People caught planes there just to look at it. They probably still do.

Who is going to put AIX's new terminal on any list of great buildings? Isn't the blandness and timidity and aversion to taking a risk with design or money part of what is wrong with SA?

Boring accountants hamstrung by risk managers do not make good designers.

The only concession to design in that building, other than some sad details like the aforementioned nozzles and a few surface treatments like the endless brushed metal panelling, is the boring, done a million times before choice of the 'post modern angle' of 15 degrees for the walls.

Would you ask your accountant to design your holiday house? No? Well, you've just let him and his mates use up one of the few chances we get to do something wonderful and iconic for ourselves in this little backwater, and you've paid for it! LOL

Bilbao in Spain took the plunge and got Frank Gehry to design their Guggenheim Musuem, and the nodescript industrial town has been in every magazine and on every cultural traveller's itinerary since before it even opened.

Well, we get the government and the public buildings we deserve.

[shuzstar]

Whats happening to the old terminal when this opens? will its still be used by the aiprort company?

AIX sounds too complicated.... mabye Holdfast International Airport... cnsiodering its in the Holdfast Shores council area.
or HIA Airport.... which agian sounds like a REALLY bad insurance company.

[Howie]

Airport all ready for big take-off
STUART INNES
03sep05

ADELAIDE Airport's lavish terminal building will have an extended program to mark its opening next month, drawing thousands of people.

The $260 million, 750m long building will be officially opened by Prime Minister John Howard on October 7 and handle its first flight on October 15.

Prior to the opening events the public will be given a chance to walk through a new major airport terminal before it becomes operational.

"There's an enormous amount of interest in the new terminal," opening events director Roseanne Healy told The Advertiser yesterday. "Whether from business or the general public, most people are definitely aware it's really taking shape.

"There's a definite sense of anticipation."






Ms Healy said the opening program was spanning a couple of months. A tour for neighbouring airport residents had been held on August 15, attracting about 500 people. On September 12 a tour would be run for "family and friends" of construction workers and airport staff. The Monday night visit could draw up to 1000 people.

"A taxi industry preview will have a breakfast and a tour through the terminal on September 26," Ms Healy said. On October 5 The Advertiser/Sunday Mail Foundation cocktail party will feature a fashion parade.

"There'll be a runway for the models paralleling the airport runway outside," Ms Healy said of the ASMF charity event.

The grand opening dinner - a gala, black-tie event - would have up to 1000 people on Thursday night, October 6, she said.

"It will be the only such dinner ever held in the terminal. It will be a sit-down dinner in the check-in hall and it's a massive thing to organise," she said. "There'll be unique live entertainment and a three-course meal with wine." Certain charities will benefit. Each table for 10 people costs $2000 and can be booked through the Adelaide Airport, 8308 9211.

International and interstate guests will be invited to the official opening by Mr Howard. The lunch will include "an aerial component" including aerobatics by Chris Sperou. A public open weekend will be on Saturday and Sunday, October 8-9.

Ms Healy said there would be free entry from 10am-5pm each day and free shuttle buses will run from certain suburban spots.

[tayser]

lol holy crap, that's one hell of an opening programme!

[tayser]

check this shit out: http://www.flightlevel350.com/viewer.php?id=4076

(open in IE, broadband connections)

[Howie]

sweet.. did u take that footage?

[tayser]

lol no

most of the Aus vids on that site are by the same guy from Adelaide.