Grimshaw, Nordic Office of Architecture (Oslo) and Haptic Architects (London) have released details on what is expected to be the world’s busiest airport terminal: Istanbul Grand Airport. Planned for the Black Sea coast, just 35 kilometers outside the city, the six-runway development, masterplanned by Arup, will serve as a modern gateway to Istanbul and Turkey.
The first of the project’s four phases is slated for completion in 2018 and will serve 90 million passengers per year. Once all phases are complete, the airport’s capacity will expand to over 150 million annual passengers, making it the world’s largest airport terminal under a single roof.
“The Istanbul Grand Airport will be a modern, highly functional airport, with a unique sense of space,” described Nordic. “The airport is inspired by what makes Istanbul great: a large-scale, heaving metropolis with millennia of history, stunning architecture, both new and old, and a richness in color, patterns and quality of light.”
“Internally, the vaulted ceiling geometry gives a strong sense of directionality, from landside to airside, but also for responds to people traversing the terminal along its length. The roof and layout design will reinforce passenger flows, whilst enhancing passenger experience with intuitive wayfinding. Skylights provide natural daylight, which is diffused through the ceiling via focused beams of direct sunlight. This daylight highlights key areas in the terminal such as check-in, security, passport control and the retail environment.”
