Foster + Partners Unveils Visionary Aerotropolis Masterplan

Foster + Partners, in collaboration with the Angolan Ministry of Transport, has officially revealed the design for the Icolo e Bengo Aerotropolis. This massive development is situated approximately 40 kilometers inland from Luanda and surrounds the newly completed Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto International Airport. The proposal represents a significant shift in global news, positioning the airport as the engine for a new economic and cultural hub in Central and Southern Africa.

Defining the Airport City

The Aerotropolis Masterplan covers a staggering 13,480 hectares. The architects conceived the project to operate as a self-sustaining entity that merges industry with nature. While traditional urban planning often isolates airports from city centers, this proposal integrates the transport hub directly into the urban fabric. The development features three distinct districts positioned to the north, west, and south of the runways.

A rendering of the high rise business and cultural district in the Aerotropolis Masterplan, designed as a modern extension of Luanda's city center. — The northern district features a cluster of high-rise towers for business and culture, intended to strengthen the economic connection with Luanda’s existing urban core. (Image © Foster + Partners)

The northern district serves as a high-density business and cultural zone. It features high-rise towers and commercial spaces designed to strengthen economic ties with the existing urban core of Luanda. In contrast, the western district focuses on innovation and research. This area utilizes low-rise structures that interface smoothly with adjacent residential neighborhoods. The southern district takes advantage of the natural landscape, offering a hospitality-focused area with resorts and villas overlooking the Quisama National Park.

Connectivity and Landscape

A defining feature of this architectural design is the introduction of a “Green Loop.” This 42-kilometer landscaped corridor acts as the primary connective spine for the entire development. It integrates public transport, including buses and trams, with dedicated cycling paths to encourage sustainable movement. Beyond mobility, the loop functions as critical construction infrastructure for environmental management, directing rainwater drainage toward the nearby Kwanza River.

View of the low rise research and innovation quarter within the Aerotropolis Masterplan, designed to interface with existing residential neighborhoods. — The western district is conceived as a low-rise research and innovation hub, seamlessly integrating with adjacent residential communities and fostering a collaborative environment. (Image © Foster + Partners)

Sustainable Strategies

Environmental performance remains a core pillar of the design. The grid orientation aligns with prevailing winds to maximize natural ventilation and passive cooling across public spaces. Furthermore, the project commits to high standards of sustainability. Planners have allocated approximately three square kilometers for photovoltaic panels along the runways to contribute significantly to the local energy supply.

This announcement comes as Angola continues to explore modern building techniques. Recent research and experiments in the region have included automated 3D concrete printing to address housing shortages. The Icolo e Bengo project highlights a bold step toward future-proofing the region’s infrastructure and economy.

What are your thoughts on cities built entirely around airports? Share your opinion in the comments below.

A Quick Architectural Snapshot

The development spans 13,480 hectares and is located 40 kilometers from the regional capital. It features three distinct zones anchored by an international airport. A 42-kilometer landscaped loop connects the districts, integrating renewable energy systems and photovoltaic arrays. The site utilizes concrete and glass structures optimized for natural ventilation.

A perspective of the landscaped green loop connecting the districts in the Icolo e Bengo development, featuring public transport and pedestrian pathways. — The 42-kilometer landscaped “Green Loop” acts as the primary connective infrastructure, integrating sustainable mobility options like trams and cycling paths with open public spaces. (Image © Foster + Partners)

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

The selection of an aerotropolis model is a decision framework rooted in attracting global capital and creating a regional economic hub, prioritizing international air mobility above all else. This choice necessitates a highly structured, top-down masterplan to manage the immense financial risk and operational complexity inherent in such large-scale projects. Phased development and strict functional zoning for business, research, and hospitality are standard risk-mitigation tools in this context, not novel urban design concepts.

The resulting architectural outcome, a segregated landscape of high-rise and low-rise districts connected by engineered green infrastructure, is therefore a predictable consequence. It is the physical manifestation of a system where economic strategy and logistical constraints precede and define all subsequent spatial decisions. The architecture becomes the symptom of a globalized investment and development pattern, repeatable in any geography with similar economic ambitions.