The new control tower planned for Wellington Airport has a distinct list to starboard.
Airways NZ has lodged a resource consent application with the Wellington City Council to build a new air traffic control tower for Wellington Airport. The tower is proposed for the car park of the airport retail shopping centre at Lyall Bay and is designed to appear to be leaning into Wellington’s prevailing northerly wind.
COO Pauline Lamb says Airways is proud to present an iconic new landmark to Wellington, a tower to meet the current and future demands of the city and be in keeping with the local environment.
“With a nod to Wellington’s famous breeze, this tower combines a super strong and safe structure with excellent functionality and stunning urban design,” she says.
“Our controllers will have an excellent view of the airfield from this new site, which is positioned to maximise efficient operation now and into the future. We’re looking forward to getting it built and up and running.”
The new tower will stand 32m (nine storeys) high and lean at an angle of 12.5deg—more than Italy’s famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. It will cost $18m and, subject to consent permission, construction will start in November.
Wellington-based Studio Pacific Architecture has been commissioned to design the proposed tower, which will replace the old tower, nearly at the end of its life, among houses at 34 Tirangi Road.
The Airline Pilots Association (NZALPA) has some concerns with the design because it will restrict controllers’ line of sight to certain parts of the airport. Although this problem is not unknown in other airports of the world, it is a problem to be avoided.
- Report by John King, photograph supplied by Airways NZ.