In what has been heralded as "a triumph in innovative thinking and collaboration", NZ's Southern-most city recently opened the doors to its award-winning $13m airport terminal.

The council, the airlines, and the people of Invercargill all had a voice in the project, and recognise its significance as the gateway to their region. It is designed to be sustainable and future-proof, and it's built to withstand some pretty harsh conditions, including snow and even flooding. But rather than simply protect against the harsh southern climate, the airport is built to harness the weather, and significantly reduce heating and ventilation costs.

Critical to the design and management of this facility is an entrance matting system that is not only long-lasting and robust enough to withstand trolleys and bags day in and day out, but is also effective in all weather conditions to prevent dirt and moisture being trampled into the terminal. So architects Warren & Mahoney called on Advance Flooring to provide the optimal solution.

Advance Flooring recommended the extra-wide, extra-absorbent, and extra-safe ExtraTread entrance matting system. Advance entrance matting systems utilise a polyamide insert which carries a European Class 33 Commercial Wear rating — the best rating possible.

ExtraTread matting systems are installed on both the public and the tarmac entrances to the building, occupying the entire wind-foyer in both cases. These mats measure roughly 4 x 6m and 5 x 7m respectively, to maximise the number of steps visitors take on the matting before entering the building.

Based on the popular CoralTread entrance matting system, ExtraTread features wider carpet inserts with high performance polyamide infills that not only absorb up to 85% of the dirt and moisture tramped through the doors, but are also engineered to exceed fire ratings. This results in a surface that's hardworking, easy to maintain and safer — significantly reducing the risk of slips and spills.

One of the most important features of ExtraTread is its attractive low-profile design, which adds another facet to the unique design of this gateway project. Like the airport itself, it is modern, spacious and functional, and makes a great first impression on all visitors.