Grimshaw Unveils Plans for Istanbul Airport

London-based firm Grimshaw has recently unveiled their design plans for Istanbul airport. The new airport will have six runways and has the capacity to accommodate an estimated number of 150 million passengers annually.

Grimshaw takes the lead spot, working together with the Nordic Office of Architecture and another London-based design firm Haptic. According to Istanbul New Airport Terminal One, this new 100-hectare structure will be the “world’s largest airport terminal under one roof”

The design is described to be highly modern and functional and will promote a “unique sense of place”. One of the main focal points of the design is a vaulted canopy which will be dotted with skylights. The design will allow areas such as check-in desks, passport control and shops to receive ample amount of daylight.

At the entrance will be a large plaza which will allow airport guests to easily access the structure from main points of transportation including bus terminals, metro and rails that run along the city.

This is yet another airport project from Grimshaw. Recently, the firm has completed a St. Petersburg airport in Russia which takes its design inspiration from the gilded churches of the country’s city churches. The resulting design is an airport with elegant golden ceilings.

For the Istanbul project, Grimshaw partner Andrew Thomas claims that the airport will receive a “design worthy of the world city of Istanbul.”

Haptic director Tomas Stokke agrees and adds, “The Istanbul airport attempts to reconcile the requirements for a top modern, functional airport with something that is rooted in local identity.” Stokke also describes that the design inspiration came from the city’s use of patterns and colors and how the quality of light penetrates the buildings around the historic city of Istanbul. Stokke also cites local architecture such as the Suleymaniye Mosque as a reference to their design.

The new airport will be built 20 miles outside of the city, within the side of the Black Sea coast. The construction phase will be divided into four stages. The team expects that the first part will be fully-operational by 2018 and is estimated to accommodate 90 million passengers annually.