Travel · Christchurch · 2026
Summit Bar & Kitchen
An empty site in International Departures, turned into a destination island bar shaped by the mountains of the South Island.
- Client
- SSP APAC
- Location
- Christchurch International Airport
- Scope
- Concept, brand, interiors, detailed design
- Delivered with
- Tailor Inc. · McKay Lang
Idea
A ridgeline, drawn in light.
A lit vertical installation traces the line of the Canterbury mountains. With the glowing handwritten logo, it is the first thing passengers see as they leave Duty Free.
The summit idea carries into material, light and floor, so the venue is understood before the name is read.
Seismic rules, a fixed duct, a live terminal. Each constraint refined the design.
Space
Open on every side.
The circular plan has no single front. Booths, tables and bar seating at varied heights suit a solo coffee or a group meal. Terracotta tile and timber bring warmth against the bright terminal, and a speckled golden floor traces the edge like a mountain's shadow.
Seismic rules meant the overhead feature couldn't hang, so it rises from the ground and folds into the bar. The work was programmed closely with Tailor Inc. and McKay Lang under airport security, and delivered on budget.
Design
Cre8 Design Studio
Client
SSP APAC
Project management
Tailor Inc.
Shopfitting & photography
McKay Lang