The roof forms of Nelson Airport, shaped to reflect the adjacent mountain ranges, signal this important gateway to the Nelson region. Articulated timber structures and surfaces provide warmth and familiarity to a highly resolved single volume. Open to the east and west, the terminal both contains and reveals the complexity of airport operations. The building successfully integrates innovative timber structural and seismic design, prefabrication technology, climate resilience and environmental systems. The resulting architecture serves as an important showcase for the potential of these design elements in the public and commercial realms.