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ATC Tower opens

10/09/2009

New Zealand's tallest air control tower was officially opened Thursday, 10 September by Prime Minister John Key. He cut a giant ribbon tied around the tower's base, sparking fireworks to mark the occasion.

Christchurch Airport's 45 metre tower, designed by Hawke's Bay-based Paris Magdalinos Architects (PMA), is part of a major terminal expansion for Canterbury.

The six million dollar tower project was completed on time and on budget by the Hawkins Construction Design Build Team, made up of Holmes Consulting Group, Cosgrove Major, AES Consulting and PMA.

From a design perspective the tower echoes artist Neil Dawson's iconic 'Chalice' sculpture in Christchurch's Cathedral Square and is a fusion of form and function, with a base of around 64 square metres tapering to a 12 metre diameter control cab at the top.

Holmes Consulting Group provided engineering services for the 'Chalice' sculpture as well.

More on Holmes Consulting Group's contribution to this project can be found here.

  • The Christchurch Air Traffic Control Tower is an inverted cone, echoing the Neil Dawson 'Chalice' sculpture in Cathedral Square.