Bangalore airport, the international architecture firm SOM created a terminal that incorporates elements of the city’s natural environment and cultural legacy.
In partnership with Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla (AJSK) and Grant Associates, SOM designed the plant-filled “terminal in a garden” with the intention of offering a peaceful respite from the hustle and bustle of a standard international airport.
According to Peter Lefkovits, the design principal, “Terminal 2 (T2) inverts every expectation of how an airport can look and feel,” he told Dezeen.
“With a focus on rich, sensory experiences rooted in nature, we created a calming oasis within the bustle of an international airport.”
The 255,000-square-meter terminal features an outdoor retail, event, and entertainment space in addition to a transit hub that will function as a major point of interaction between Bangalore city and the current Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL).
Inside, the firm added hanging plants and other flora to the engineering bamboo framework of the terminal, providing light-filled, spacious spaces that were illuminated by roof openings.
“Inspired by the ‘garden city’ heritage of Bengaluru, India, the client originally proposed a simple, yet captivating idea: to design a ‘terminal in a garden’,” Lefkovits said.
The terminal is navigated by visitors via a series of areas joined by bridges and walkways, punctuated with terraced gardens and water features.
A 90-meter-wide planted area known as the “forest belt” divides the terminal’s gates from the main block. Also, houses security and check-in.
Inside, custom furnishings covered in locally obtained granite, red bricks, and traditionally woven rattan were used to complement the bamboo construction of the terminal.
“The idea was to radically reimagine the travel experience by connecting passengers to nature along each step of their journey,” Lefkovits stated.
As per the studio, the terminal can function exclusively on renewable energy due to the adoption of sustainable practices.
“[The terminal] also implements sophisticated, holistic sustainable design strategies,” Lefkovits said.
“Some of these strategies include extensive solar sharing and intelligent building systems, as well as the use of renewable materials.”
Finally, find out more on ArchUp:
Tikari Works: Black-stained timber canopy encloses garden pavilion
