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New airport terminal, Lahore, Pakistan
Tuesday 06 Jun 2017
Lift off in Lahore
GilBartolomé Architects
Gilbartolomé architects have designed the new Lahore airport in Pakistan
The Spanish office GilBartolomé Architects have designed a new airport terminal in Lahore, Pakistan which will serve 25m passengers every year. It has become one of the most ambitious and forward thinking projects undertaken in the country for many years.
Pablo Gil and Jaime Bartolomé, directors of GilBartolomé Arcjotects and their team, have projected the new passenger terminal in collaboration with engineering office Typsa and Pakistani Asian Consulting.
GilBartolomé Architect’s proposal was selected among other powerful European and American consortia in a competitive process, carried in October 2015. The construction works will start by the end of 2017.
This new and emblematic terminal seeks to transform the Lahore airport into a global aerial communication node, guaranteeing the economic growth of Pakistan and projecting a picture of modernity to the world.
One of the greatest challenges involved in the design was the need to incorporate the existing terminal, with a current capacity of 4.5m passengers per year, integrating it both aesthetically and functionally in the final scheme, and keeping it operative throughout the process of the construction works.
In order to achieve this, the existing terminal was planned to remain nearly untouched, building the new extension around it, with a gardened patio which lets natural light inside the building and it is pierced by walkways that connect the old and the new buildings. The result showcases the existing building -built in 2003- and at the same time proposes a coherent whole, and a flexible and functional interior scheme.
The building responds to Lahore’s flat topography and takes inspiration in the earthy colours of the ceramic architecture of the Punjab, which is also the existing building’s and the adjacent mosque. The new building responds to the latter with a direct connection and an exclusive park for the travellers.
It is customary in Pakistan for the family and friends accompanying the traveller to remain in the building until the aircraft takes off, or up to the moment the passenger arrives from a trip, thus turning the airport lobby into a public space which should host great crowds for extended periods of time. This particularity constitutes an opportunity to propose a beautiful and vibrant space for travellers and relatives. Setting functional and security-related issues aside, this has been the primary design goal.
The space itself is 18m high, separated in two open levels, and ordered by the structure of pillars holding the roof of the building. The check-in hall, so as the cafeterias, restaurants and indoor gardens -below-, allow for the enjoyment of a space that connects the architectural tradition of the large Hypostyle halls with GilBartolome’s contemporary design language and the innovative construction techniques the office implements in their projects.
The lighting design and the incorporation of indoor vegetation were two main issues in this Project.
The incorporation of vegetation inside the building produces undeniable positive effects on the users. Such effects include stress and anxiety reduction, improvements in concentration and the perceived welfare, which have been broadly studied (Ulrich1, 1984, Lohr2, 1996, Faber Taylor3, 2002). The aesthetic effects of vegetation are not only limited to those related to visuals, but also the scent, the humidity and an improvement in the air quality that evocates a sense of connection with nature, luxury and careful attention.
The lighting is a main topic in public spaces. In this case, the office has designed a system that combines properly modulated natural light, which penetrates through skylights on the roof, with indirect artificial lighting that emanates from the ceiling, melting in, with the aim of creating a warm atmosphere which highlights the formal and geometrical richness, and gives the airport an unseen character for a building of its kind.
GilBartolomé Architects
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