CPG Consultants recently won the Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport VIP terminal design competition, which was organized by the Airports Corporation of Vietnam. Expected to be completed in late 2014, the lotus flower-inspired design with its iconic petal-shaped pavilion roof will extend a ceremonious welcome to Heads of State and dignitaries as they arrive or depart from Hanoi. The new VIP Terminal will feature an octagonal geometry in plan, with the reception hall, state lounge and president lounges forming the centerpiece while the VIP lounges and function rooms form the angled part of the perimeter. More images and architects' description after the break.
Just as the lotus flower, Vietnam’s cultural icon, blooms from an aquatic setting, the Lotus Pavilion builds up from the landscape element of a reflective pool to highlight the pure form of the iconic petal-shaped pavilion roof. Each layer of this build-up is a dynamic element of form expressing a play of surface, shape or support. It culminates in a six-segmented vaulted-dome structure that springs from the arching petal-shaped roof, which peels away at the top to reveal supporting-truss ribs that meet in a criss-crossing pattern across the center.
The composition is an assemblage of light, space and materials to create a dramatic interior, as important to be experienced by dignitaries as it is to mark the significance of VIP air travel.
