Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport Hotel

Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport is a stunning example of the merging of Indigenous culture and architectural design. From its distinctive three-pointed star shape to the tribally-inspired designs embedded in both its exterior and interior, this five-star hotel lives up to the mana (spirit) of the name that it carries. Its name, ‘Te Arikinui’, was gifted by Māori King, Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII. It means ‘Supreme Paramount Chief’ and was chosen to reflect the status and 5-star luxury premium experience that the hotel offers. The ‘sea to sky’ design concept is inspired by the journey of adventure and discovery by the people of Tainui waka (tribal canoe) following their arrival to Manukau Harbour around 1350. This concept is a continuation of the design created for the Novotel Auckland Airport, which is inspired by the journey of Tainui waka from Hawaiki (Hawaii) to Aotearoa New Zealand. The 311-room Pullman Hotel is the first designated 5-star hotel at Auckland Airport. The building is cleverly formed in the three-pointed footprint to maximize yield in the space afforded by the airport within the flight path and airspace limitations. This proves to be incredible efficient and achieves a higher room key density than would be achieved with a traditional orthogonal building. The partnership between Tainui (the original tribal guardians of the land) and Auckland Airport sought to create a landing destination which illustrates the unique cultural nature and meaning of the location. The hotel uses the gifted narrative to great effect while honouring the great service and expectations of the Pullman brand by Accor. The gold-coloured external and internal soffit represent the inner lining of a Korowai and reference the metaphor ‘under the protection of the Korowai’ (cloak). Located at the entrance, the soffit is formed by over 1,500 triangular aluminium panels. Each geometric panel is uniquely shaped with no two panels the same. The hotel’s unique shape is an acknowledgement to key geographic sites of significance associated with the journey of Tainui waka, while materials and designs used in the hotel reference the cultural and historical wealth of Aotearoa New Zealand and draw inspiration from the local environment. The black terracotta exterior end elevations of the hotel references the feathers of the exterior of a korowai (feather cloak), with gold-coloured external and internal soffit representing the inner lining of the korowai and referencing the metaphor ‘under the protection of the korowai’. The hand-laid terrazzo floor of the lobby is an artwork inspired by ripples left in the sand by receding tidal fingerprints of historic weather patterns along New Zealand’s foreshore. Scattered throughout the floor are seashells from the Manukau and Aotea harbours that were gathered and gifted by tribal members. Cultural design patterns featuring throughout Te Arikinui hotel are inspired by Kiingitanga (the King Movement), celestial voyages, stories of great taniwha (mythical creatures), and the precious korowai. The outcome is a truly authentic and personalised experience, that embodies the essence of local culture.