Rarotonga International Airport

Stephenson&Turner Architects

Rarotonga International Airport is the Cook Islands' main international gateway, located in the town and district of Avarua, Rarotonga, three kilometres west of the downtown area on the northern coast.

An $8.5m reconstruction project commenced in 2009 to revamp and expand the existing terminal facilities. This was initially a response to new stringent civil aviation requirements to separate arriving and departing passenger as well as the need to shelter the departure area which was an open grassed patch. The brief developed further to incorporate new retail facilities, VIP lounges and a much needed upgrade to the arrivals facilities.

Timber and concrete have been used throughout the building, eliminating steelwork due to the high corrosion levels. The roof has been shaped to match traditional and local building designs and has been constructed with strong glulam timber trusses.

The airport has been designed to utilize natural airflow to cool the interior through open timber louvers, running along the length of the building at both roof level and at a lower level allowing cross ventilation to occur naturally. The inside floors are made of ground and polished concrete and a full-length skylight at the ceiling peak allows natural light into the space throughout the day.