Dunedin Airport

The Dunedin Airport dwell area revitalisation creates a more comfortable and considered passenger experience, transforming the terminal into a contemporary gateway to the lower South.

Designed for pausing, working, gathering and relaxing, the space brings together comfort, hospitality and a strong sense of place. The wider terminal redevelopment draws on Kāi Tahu narratives connected to the Taiari landscape, an area rich in ancestral places, pūrākau and histories of settlement and mahika kai, developed in partnership with Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou and Aukaha.

These stories are woven into the passenger journey through cultural artworks, including Kāi Tahu artist Xoë Hall’s interpretation of Mauka Atua, the mountain range stretching across the Taiari Plains. Her mural depicts the mauka standing sentinel over the landscape as travellers come and go, bringing the colours and character of the surrounding whenua, waterways and skies into the terminal.

Through new seating and spatial interventions, the dwell area contributes to an environment that feels distinctly Southern; connecting travellers to the landscape, identity and stories of the region from the moment they arrive.

Photographer: Anna McLeod