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Te Hono New Plymouth Airport – A Modern Architectural Achievement

Welcome to Taranaki! Earning the accolade as the second-best regional destination in the world! 🗻

In March 2020, New Plymouth Airport proudly opened it’s brand new terminal building to its first flight, having undergone an incredible transformation of the 1960s terminal into a modern regional gateway for almost half a million passengers a year.

The new terminal is a unique and beautiful building that comes together through the collaboration of Puketapu Hāpu, Papa Rererangi I Puketapu, Beca Architects, and Cleland’s Construction. Impressively, Te Hono has been chosen as one of just six Airports worldwide to compete in the prestigious Prix Versailles World Architecture and Design Award Finale. In fact, it is the first airport ever nominated in New Zealand!

At Ulti Group, we’re proud to have played a part in the project, supplying and installing a number of rapid doors in order to accelerate their baggage handling and air freight processes. This includes multiple Ulti Spirals in both the departures and arrivals baggage areas, as well as an Ulti Roll in a freight airlock.

In the previous terminal, the airport had had standard Roller Shutter doors, no smarts, no speed, just plain old doors. However, with the airport being designed to cater for significantly larger numbers than in the past, having floor loop activated fast acting doors which greatly enhance the speed of their processes, getting baggage to and from the tarmac in tight timeframes, as well as enabling tight environmental control is a significant advantage!

Notably, the Ulti Spiral is also highly configurable, so being involved in early design stages enabled us to design solutions for the tight headrooms, using 3 different tracks including two unique low headroom track options. Originally all doors had been specified to be mounted externally and would have been exposed to excessive salt spray from the coastal location. However, with this unique solution that could be mounted with low clearance/head room, we were able to meet their needs and provide significant value for the airport.

This was also a key feature in terms of being able to fit in with the architects design for the new building which was of prime importance, as well as allowing consistency across all external doorways rather than having to use multiple door types, all whilst not skimping on any of the key benefits the door has to offer.

These doors also have an exceptional life span, giving the airport complete peace of mind, and the no-contact spiral technology means there is no wear on the door sections, eliminating the transfer of dirt and grime from one panel to another, and ensuring a great long-lasting appearance.

Plus as always, safety at any site is paramount. With vision panels for greater visibility and tower Beam Safety Sensors integrated into the frames monitoring the closing zone and reversing the door if any of the light beams are interrupted, the door will not close when anything is obstructing it’s path.

And what’s more – they look awesome! Integrating all the quality and functionality required in sites today and the future, all whilst blending in well with the architectural aesthetic of the terminal.

Ulti Group is about problem solving. We feel grateful that we have been able to assist our client in creating the perfect solution to their needs, and we can do the same for you. With over 25 years in the industry, we have the knowledge and expertise to assist you through the difficult decisions, ensure your facility is world class, and help protect what matters most.

 
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