Pick up a paddle for pre-trip ping pong

Flight delayed? Don’t worry, now you can kill time playing ping pong.

Two outdoor ping pong tables, previously located in the central city near the Bridge of Remembrance, have been installed at Christchurch Airport’s outdoor plaza this week.

Ping pong tables have been installed at Christchurch Airport this week.

The tables were part of Gap Filler’s Ping Pong project, which involved three concrete ping pong tables made available for public use last summer and this autumn.

Of the three tables, one is being moved to The Commons soon, and the other two have been purchased by the Christchurch International Airport to help liven up one of their outdoor areas and add to its visitor experiences.

The ping pong tables were created by local company C. Lund & Son as part of Gap Filler’s Diverscity: Community Showcase Project which aims to raise the visibility of some of Christchurch’s migrant communities. In this case, the Chinese Cultural Association collaborated on the project with Gap Filler.

The tables were popular with locals, workers and tourists over the five months they were in place.

“We’re pleased the ping pong tables will still be used by the public,” says Damian Doyle, Gap Filler Project Developer. “The airport team is keen to make their public spaces friendlier and active, and we certainly have seen how this can happen. It’s also a cool evolution of the project, given the connections with the Chinese community and the role our airport plays in connecting us to the world.”

Christchurch International Airport Chief Aeronautical and Commercial Officer Justin Watson says it was great seeing the life the ping pong tables brought to the area near Re:START and he believes the tables will do the same for the airport.

“We always want to improve our visitors’ experiences and help make the airport feel like a welcoming and friendly place. We also like the idea of showcasing some of the creative projects, such as those by Gap Filler going on in Christchurch city, to our millions of visitors.”

During the Ping Pong project in the city Gap Filler kept a purpose-built shelf under the tables stocked with bats and balls, as well as having local businesses (Cosmic Corner and Coffee Therapy) provide sets for borrowing. Mr Doyle says having the bats and balls with the tables was key to them being well-used and having the tables at the airport will allow this to continue.

The ping pong tables were installed at the airport on Tuesday and are free to play, 24 hours a day. 

Gap Filler is a creative urban regeneration initiative that facilitates a wide range of temporary projects, events, installations and amenities in the city.