WORLD’S LARGEST AIRPORT
23 Apr 2014
The new Istanbul Grand Airport will be the largest airport of its kind when completed, with a floor area spanning close to one million square metres.
The first images for a bright and airy new airport in Istanbul have just been unveiled. The Istanbul Grand Airport will be completed in stages over the next few years to provide a new gateway to the city. The new airport's design is strongly influenced by transparency and day-lighting as well as the region's unique character.
Designed by Grimshaw Architects, the Nordic Office of Architecture and Haptic Architects, the new airport will be located on the coast of the Black Sea about 35km outside of Istanbul on a site that was master planned by Arup. Once complete, the airport’s six runways will be able to accommodate about 150 million passengers a year. Phase 1 will open in 2018 and it will serve 90 million passengers annually.
The entire terminal will be housed under one roof and its floor area will be close to one million square meters, making it the largest airport of its kind. Modern design and a clear sense of place will distinguish this transport hub from hundreds of others around the world.
The architecture team has designed the airport to exhibit Turkey’s unique character and to act as a gateway to the city and country. Geometric skylights serve to provide plenty of day-lighting while improving way-finding and highlighting key areas in the terminal such as check-in, security, passport control and the retail environment.
“We are delighted to have been appointed to this bold and aspirational project,” Grimshaw Partner Andrew Thomas said. “We share the consortium’s ambitions to develop a truly outstanding airport design worthy of the world city of Istanbul.”
