Air New Zealand Lounge
A bespoke chandelier inspired by ‘the long white cloud’ is positioned above the communal dining table. Large digital screens provide a backdrop to the ‘food theatre’.
The central bar offers barista-made coffee as well as premium New Zealand wines and signature cocktails.
The new lounge is significantly larger than its predecessor was and can seat more than 375 customers.
The overall colour palette is neutral, with accent colour Bold Violet appearing in key upholstery, LED lighting and digital imagery throughout the wider space.
Since this is the flagship lounge in Auckland, this space needed to reflect a sense of place, be authentic, use natural textures and be a showcase for Air New Zealand.
A living wall of New Zealand flora brings in colour and life from the outside.
The two-levelled kids’ zone was inspired by a typical Kiwi tree house.
Carpeted surfaces and a number of medium and small versions of Eero Saarinen’s Womb Chair bring colour and softness to the area.
Visitors to the newly redesigned Air New Zealand International Lounge at Auckland International Airport immediately notice the two cardinal factors that had been lacking in the old lounge: natural light and views to the outdoors.
Designed by San Francisco-based Gensler and Auckland firm Kay & Keys Architects, the lounge has been moved up from the ground floor to level one. It features walls of glass overlooking the runway and includes a covered terrace and two-sided fireplace, which offer a year-round outdoor area.
As guests enter the lounge, wide ceiling panels of messmate wood and terrazzo-like engineered stone flooring subtly guide them through the space. Ahead, the bar/barista station with its ‘wine wall’ – an element present in other Air New Zealand international lounges – acts as an anchor around which the main social spaces are arranged.
The various seating configurations serve business and leisure travellers, whether alone or in groups. To the left, the café and food theatre is punctuated by a bespoke lighting fixture above an oversized communal dining table. The New Zealand-centric design includes large digital screens with time-lapse imagery of New Zealand scenery and a ‘digital ceiling’ over the bar, that reflects the changing New Zealand sky.
The spatial programming takes advantage of the new elevated position: there are no full height walls blocking the sweeping views of the runway. Mesh and string screens allow light to pass through and create individual havens for relaxation. Different seating types, ceiling heights and flooring transitions are used to highlight the individual zones, along with low walls used to create privacy and more intimate settings within a larger area.
Changes in technology also impacted the design. The former lounge had a separate ‘business centre’ and a limited number of ‘hot desk’ spaces but that’s no longer the way people work. To that end, the new lounge includes a business zone with a range of seating and tables with electronic charging, WiFi and printing facilities.
Air New Zealand wanted to ensure there was power at almost every seat in the lounge and this was achieved with the use of bespoke tables that incorporate power outlets. Throughout the space, there’s enhanced connectivity with more than 300 power points and USB outlets.
The terrace room includes a ‘living wall’ of native flora with a louvred roof. Other ancillary spaces include a kids’ area modelled on a kiwi tree house and a next-door media lounge. The opening of the new lounge is another milestone in a four-year, $100-million programme to upgrade and update Air New Zealand’s lounge network. More lounge developments are planned over the next few years.
