Right everyone. My present obsession is airports - or to be exact, airport architecture, which means terminals.

I'd like people's views on what they think are the world's best airports from an architectural point of view. They can be brand-new or historic.

For me, one of the best ever is Berlin's Tempelhof, designed in 1937 but not used until after the war, when it was the scene of the Berlin Airlift. The diagram of how to get people through to the planes via the shortest distance is still mighty impressive. Looks like a huge Nazi railway station from the land side, however.

So: nominate your favourite airport!

I think you have to experience an airport rather than looking at it in a book / magazine / television which doesnt really allow me to comment. However I really enjoyed Stansted when it first opened, spent a day in it taking photographs back in early 1992 and it was churchlike.

Must say I liked the Cathedral like atmosphere of Malaga Airport .........no low ceilings pressing down on you or ques crossing....an airy and great sence of space.

The airport in Praslin in the Seychelles knocks the socks off any other airport I've ever been in. About €30 for a cup of tea in it but it has beatutiful views and is entirely made from local timber and if I recall, is actually built on stilts!

bad picture but you get the idea. beautiful inseide
http://www.virtualseychelles.sc/busi/media/new_praslinair2.jpg

Originally posted by Luke Gardnier
Must say I liked the Cathedral like atmosphere of Malaga Airport

would agree, seems to work quite well

Thanks for those tips. I didn't know either of those. On trawling the Web, I find that Malaga is a rare neo-classical airport by Ricardo Bofill, opened in 1991.

Praslin on the Seychelles is interesting as a vernacular terminal, supposedly based on Creole architecture. Opened 2001. Haven't tracked down an architect for it yet - looks a bit Geoffrey Bawa-ish.

In this alternative vein, I also recommend Rafael Moneo's San Pablo Airport in Seville - an affair of brick arches and roof lanterns. Not all new airports go for the high-tech look.

Anyone happen to know the architect of the spanking new Venice Airport, all very Italian rationalism-meets-postmodernism?

Keep 'em coming...

Venice Marco Polo is by local architect, Gian Paolo (Giampaolo) Mar.

http://www.edilportale.com/edilnews/popup.asp?IDDOC=2717
http://www.arkineos.it/arkultimo/articoli/anselmo/anselmo.htm

Copenhagen airport is pretty enjoyble to use and is rated the best in the world, whatever that means. Also: built in 1939, the airport's original Vilhelm Lauritzen terminal was relocated in 1999. The relocation, which attracted a great deal of media attention, was included in The Guinness Book of Records as a European moving record; the total cost of re-establishing the terminal was DKK 100 million. Today, the building is used for administration staff offices, training, and state visits, and is also rented out for large banquets, receptions and the like.

TWA terminal at JFK (now, sadly, too small for modern traffic levels).

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/TWA_at_New_York.html

I also love LAX's "Theme Building", although it's really only just a restaurant now that the observation deck has been closed.

http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/history/historylab/LAPUHK/Text/Concepts/Icons/Icons_LAX.htm

Fly Go to Bilbao... Calatrava. Snuggles under a lawn and opens its mouth with teeth to the runway. Nice view as you leave from the taxi.

Copenhagen is great due to the kids facilities - little lego play areas in all the waiting rooms. However, the walkways last forever. espescially internal to external. and for some odd reason in the domestic terminal every second door opens the other way. which is confusing as hell when you are running toward them.

This once was a beautiful airport

http://www.fantasyjackpalance.com/fjp/photos/kf/history/002/pcd-collinstown-airport.jpg

stansted was heaven in the old days when you had it to yourself and the bewley's franchise did wonderful cooked breakfest, the old delta terminal in jfk is nice, espessially if you go there by the water shuttle from wall street, the ireland, india, israel terminal in jfk is great too because of the saris, the hassidim and the green jerseys, but what airport can beat heathrow for sheer fun, the chaos, the confusion.

Thanks to Trace for identifying architect of Venice - went through there in September. Wonderfully free of commercial tat, loads of space.

Copenhagen I've got on my budget-airline list to visit. Been wanting to see that original Lauritzen terminal for some time.

Bilbao, yes - last (and only) time I was there the Calatrava airport wasn't opened.

And Kefu, yes - the original Dublin Airport by Fitzgerald and the gang was one of the 1930s greats, along with Le Bourget, Tempelhof and Liverpool's Speke.

Maybe Dublin could do a Copenhagen and move and restore it. Or just take away the tat and restore it.

Rather parochial account of the Praslin Airports opening here:
http://www.nation.sc/archives/miscellaneous/June/miscellaneous_Junewk3_archives.htm

Only reference I could find was Laxmanbhai Construction Ltd, who may or may not have employed the architect,

many many pics of airports here RSJ. Far too many in fact ;)

http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?nr_of_rows=3807&sort_order=country&first_this_page=0&page_limit=15&specialsearch=AIRPORT

check out aerogare 2f, at charles de gaulle. i don't have any pictures but it is the one used in the u2 video 'beautiful day'. i have only used it once but it is unbelievably simple to use. it looks pretty decent too!

And I thought all runways were the same. Ro_G's selected site proves I was right. But check out that weird Sydney control tower. Or the high-modern terminal at Innsbruck. A few gems creep into these pix.

Looking at these photos would probably get you arrested in Greece.

Referring to nono (and an earlier posting on this forum by Paul Clerkin re Charles de Gaulle 1) -

Paul Andreu of Aeroports de France is a god of airport terminal design. He appreciates the theatre of the places, much as the 19th century architects of railway stations did. OK, so CDG 1 (and 2) is well over the top. But then so is St. Pancras Station in London. Both places make you feel important as a traveller.

What I saw of Chicago airport wasn't that impressive but boy does it work. Ten minutes from International terminal to a domestic by electric train.

The domestic terminal was very simply a T - enter along the horizontal, check in and keep walking until you hit your gate. All gates facing bars and eateries.

Yes, there's some stuff by Helmut Jahn there but it reallly seems to be just a huge organism with no clear image - like Heathrow, Schipol, etc. Only clearly more efficient than Heathrow.

The Norman Foster-designed Hong Kong International Airport.

Although the airport was moved far out of the city in 1998, you can still check your bags in two new, dedicated railway stations in the city centre.

After a smooth, speedy train ride to the door of the airport, you proceed in almost a straight line to check-in, security, immigration, shopping, boarding.

The open-plan design means you can always see where you want to go and you can orient yourself by looking through the huge walls of glass at the mountains and airplanes.

Lots of light, lots of space. A larger version of Stansted, you could say. It handles at least 30m passengers a year and I think it's designed for up to 80m. Very impressive.

I have connected many times in Copenhagen and always found that extremely easy to negotiate.

Honolulu Airport, while nothing special architecturally speaking is unbelievably pleasant to travel through. Nothing like getting off the 6-hour flight from the mainland and being greeted by the tropical Hawaiian air blowing in your face while walking to the baggage reclaim hall.

I must second that Hong Kong view. Beautiful and functional though checking-in at the last minute and finding out that your flight is departing from the end of the Y pier can be nightmare. Immigration, down 2 escalators, wait for the APM, 2 minutes journey time, 2 escalators up and another 300 metres walk before finally reaching the gate, exhausted.

I personally find Singapore Changi way over-rated both from an architectural and passenger point of view.

Jeremiah

Anybody of you heard about Helsinki-Malmi?
It was built in mid-30ies (inaugurated 15.5.1938)

It has a fine round terminal building with two side wings

And now it is in big danger to be demolished. I mean the aerodrome, runways. The buildings are promised to be saved, but they are not airport buildings without the airfield and airplanes.

See http://www.tky.hut.fi/~pik/Malmi/index-e.htm
and especially pictures http://www.tky.hut.fi/~pik/Malmi/malmi-e.htm

Do you know similar cases, that old airport buildings are torn out of their original function and surroundings: an airfield?

What do you think that we, friends of Helsinki-Malmi airport could still do to save the airport?

It's a fine 1930s airport. But I can't see the name of an architect anywhere. Do you know who the architect was?

Architects of Malmi airport were Dag Englund and Vera Rosendahl

You can read more about Dag Englund from
http://www.meamnet.polimi.it/archive/017/017.html and especially Malmi airport is mentioned in http://www.meamnet.polimi.it/archive/017/017m1.html "Dag Englund gained success in several church design competitions in the 1930s with his elegant functionalist designs. His prize-winning entries were, however, not realised. His most remarkable completed building from the 1930s is Malmi Airport in Helsinki, once a super-modern example of functionalism. He was also well placed in competitions for various institution buildings. The Parochial Institute in Järvenpää, for instance, was built in 1950 following a competition. Dag Englund designed numerous industrial and apartment buildings in various parts of Finland. His wife Doris was a fashion designer."

An other architectural site, where Malmi airport is mentioned is http://www.rakennustaiteenseura.fi/taiteentutkija/ajankohtaista/dangerous_liaisons_program.htm
where is said that Program of the Architectural Tour Sunday 18 February 2001

made a coffee break at Helsinki-Malmi Airport, Dag Englund & Vera Rosendahl 1938

More information you can ask from Aino Niskanen, who is an expert (as you see from the www-page). I am not an architect although very interested to get also international help from architects around the world for saving our airport.
Aino Niskanen's email adress is aino.niskanen@jippii.fi

best regards
Erkki Mikola
erkki.mikola@kotiportti.fi

Erkki, thanks for showing us that. I like it. Whats the interior like? Original? Or redesigned since the building was completed.

http://www.tky.hut.fi/~pik/Malmi/tower.jpg

The interior is almost like original. However the check-in counter and baggage and baggage weigh and handling desk are removed. The restaurant on second floor is still in same place as originally. There are fine sceneries from it to the airfield.
Air control tower was modernized in 1960ies.
The picture from inside the main hall you can find from http://www.tky.hut.fi/~pik/Malmi/malmi-e.htm
http://www.tky.hut.fi/~pik/Malmi/interior.jpg
It is actually made of 2 pictures to show the interior in wide angle. There is roud sofa in the middle, where originally was a big palm tree. I hope, that it could be restored.

Here is some more specific info about the designers of Helsinki-Malmi Airport (from Aino Niskanen)
"I think, that it is best to name Dag Englund and Vera Rosendahl / Finnish National Board of Building as designers (I would omit to mention Doris Englund in this context)

As example how difficult it is to specify the designers of the airport let's take the administration building (=main building, 1938):
In the newspapers then was told the designer to be Väinö Vähäkallio (chief officer of the Building Board)

"Architect"-magazine tells that main designer was Building Board assisted by Dag Englund and Vera Rosendahl.

Work list of Building Board does not name the designers and Salme Setälä describes that
Onni Ermala "took care of the work" in the Building Board. Propably he made the detailed drawings and supervised the actual building work.

Anyone out there know the architects of the new Athens Sparta airport?

This one? Greece Public Works Ministry??
http://www.greece.gr/TRAVEL/Traveltips/athensairportinaugurated.stm

Press releases for 2001 from official site - you may find a mention of the architects somewhere or email them...
http://www.aia.gr/en/general_information/media_center/press_releases/2001/body.shtm

http://pelastamalmi.org/en/petition/sign.html

Originally posted by Paul Clerkin
I think you have to experience an airport rather than looking at it in a book / magazine / television which doesnt really allow me to comment. However I really enjoyed Stansted when it first opened, spent a day in it taking photographs back in early 1992 and it was churchlike.

Finally decided to spend an afternoon scanning the images... unfortunetly the text that I wrote had the time has to be OCRed as I lost the disk, so that will have to wait until another day...

Photos of Stansted shortly after opening
http://england.archiseek.com/london/stansted/airport.html


http://england.archiseek.com/london/stansted/images/exterior_lge.jpg

http://england.archiseek.com/london/stansted/images/concourse_general_view6_lge.jpg

http://england.archiseek.com/london/stansted/images/concourse_general_view5_lge.jpg

http://england.archiseek.com/london/stansted/images/night_lookingin_lge.jpg

My, that was another era all right. A deserted Stansted, and so new they still had the temporary safety rail around the roof. Good pictures, Paul.

At the opening, Foster was rude about some bits of corporate sculpture that had been dumped in the concourses. If only he'd realised what was going to hit the place once the budget airlines got going...

It's been seamlessly expanded since according to Foster's design, but now they're cutting the link: I see that a new phase 2 (or is it 3 or 4?) has gone to Grimshaw.

.

Yeah, like the photographs myself, and I'd only just got a camera too. God bless student grants - they paid for my first camera, which I'm still using (although I've acquired a few more).

That was a very weird day though. The underground railway station felt like the bunker of a Bond Baddie except without the army of jumpsuited minions.

Has anyone been to the new Brussels terminals yet , they are real quality, will have to take my camera next time I'm coming over to Dublin.

I like those photos Paul. I remember being there back there aswell and thinking it a great place. I was not there again until this summer and I was slightly disappointed by the changes to say the least. It is still a great roof structure though.

another big empty airport to close...

Montreal's Mirabel Airport
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1095372613077

Interesting piece - particularly the bit about it being built so far out of town on the assumption that we'd all be flying in noisy Concordes or equivalent.

Deadly mixture of flawed projections, political interference and changes in the market.

Indeed Mirabel was so quiet that Spielberg used it to film his (few)airside sequences in the Tom Hanks comedy "The Terminal".

There aren't many ghost airports like this. I suppose Scotland's Prestwick is a UK example.

Wonder if it's possible to have an pure, designed airport as clean and clutter free as originally envisaged today.

Stanstead was a real eye opener, concept oblitorated really by the guddle and free form mess maybe the same will happen with Charles de Gaulle...or can you plan for it?

Copenhagen Airport. The wondrous 1960-ish terminal by Vilhelm Lauritzen had acquired all the usual clutter. So the Danes pushed all that into a new terminal alongside, and have returned Lauritzen's to pretty much its original appearance.

Possibly no other nation would do this. Just as no other nation would also save Lauritzen's original late 1930s terminal from demolition by transporting it right round the other side of the airport, and then restoring it beautifully.

For parties.

Here's Lauritzen's 1960 Copenhagen terminal:

Oh, quite elegant. Are those external rooflights or light fixtures?

By the way, when is the new book available?

I thought Copenhagen Airport was a fantastic building. I particularly liked the roof structures.

From Saturdays San Fran Chronicle

No-thrill air travel has made the former TWA terminal obsolete, but still an architectural wonder
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/09/18/DDGAP8PV0H1.DTL

How kind of you to mention it Paul, my new book is due out at Christmas.

Called " Sure..what's time to a pig ?" , it's an outsiders guide to the Irish Planning system and in it's an abridged version runs to thirteen volumes. :)

That's great Alan, make sure to send me a copy, I need something to warm the house ;)

Alan D - you are a Scotch larrikin.

Paul - those are rooflights at Copenhagen, so it's daylit. Note also the way the mezzanine is hung from the roof, so reducing bulk.

The rest is down to noble proportions. Compare Heathrow T4 and weep.

Ahh, the book. No doubt you mean "Airports: a century of architecture". Published by Laurence King in London on October 5, and Abrams in New York on November 1. I cannot recommend it too highly.

Worryingly cheap on Amazon...

well maybe now you've got trouble sleeping, ...............or a table that needs leveling or posture that needs correcting.

There's a thousand and one uses for such a book

D'ye know Hugh that's exactly what my old grannie used to say as she put down her sucked egg......and laterly my probation officer and sometimes social services

"colinsky" thats what i am talking about, love it, nice air port, thats my style

"another big empty airport to close...Montreal's Mirabel Airport"

Q: Can a High-Speed trian be a solution? keep it for Low Cost/ Charter Airlines??

A high speed train never became practical for Mirabel. At the concept stage the government imagined that it would become and important north east corridor 'gateway' airport feeding traffic from Europe down into the entire north east and centre of North America. Aircraft bacame equiped with larger fuel tanks and simply flew over and on to destinations including the west coast. The most passengers that Mirabel ever handled was less than 3 million in a year. Nowadays Toronto handles over 20 million and Vancouver over 15 million. Even at its peak both Mirabel and Dorval (the other and now only Montreal international airport -recently re-named Trudeau Airport) combined - never attained an annual passenger handling figure of nine million. Shifting all passengers to a remote airport and then justifying it with an expensive fast-train, for perhaps 2-300 passengers an hour at peak times was something not even the friendly goverments could go for.

Some blurb on Hugh's new book.....

http://www.hughpearman.com/book4/

Lisbon's International Airport

http://www.ana-aeroportos.pt/NR/rdonlyres/ejgeklo6vfov3rxpgoypreybgqzowhpv2h4gjcptbrjqs7mkjq jqhqh3qh7a2yqjobhahevy4lm2srozdbsp5jwmmhb/ALS1.gif

http://www.moptc.pt/docs/imagens/ANA_AeroportoPortelaLisboa02_Large.jpg

http://www.moptc.pt/docs/imagens/ANA_AeroportoPortelaLisboa01_Large.jpg

Strange stuff, particularly that waffle ceiling. Who's the architect, Paulo?

Was in the airport in Lisbon at the time of the RIAI Convention, two years ago. God it was awful the most oppresive airport I've ever visited in a capital city, black and white tiles I seems to remember............ low ceilings. Could'nt wait to get out.

Hope this is an improvement ...still looks dark

New Winnipeg Airport Development

Cesar Pelli has partnered with Winnipeg's Stantec Architecture to replace the Winnipeg Airports Authority's outdated terminal. Construction of the estimated $350-million project is set to start in 2006 and end in 2009.

http://canada.archiseek.com/news/2005/000057.html

Ah, the imagery of flight - architects just can't help it. Is the present terminal the red block to the rear?

no thats the parkade - the present terminal and tower are in white to the right.... quite a nice 60s building actually and in very much original condition...

Will the old place remain as a terminal, or does it face the wrecking ball?

It could become a new home for the Western Canada Aviation Museum which would be appropriate.

Ya know, if they bother with the airbridges... :rolleyes:

http://www.corkairport.com/AR_Cork/Images/CONTENT/ORKterminalfront.gif
http://www.corkairport.com/AR_Cork/Images/CONTENT/ORKterminalrear.gif

Here's a view of the interior of Paul Andreu's Shanghai-Pudong Airport, 1996/1999.

Here's a view of the interior of Paul Andreu's Shanghai-Pudong Airport, 1996/1999.

That is quite a terminal, the only concern I would have is that quantity of glazing in a hot climate could be quite oppressive. You do have to hand it to them in Shanghai they don't appear to skimp when it comes to prestige projects.

You may laugh (although only if you've been through it :-) but I nominate Norwich Airport (http://www.norwichairport.co.uk/)

Pretty standard shed structure, cheap finish inside and no real excitement or thought in the design, BUT the management have not succumbed to the blatant commercialism of modern airports (for an excellent critique of airports becoming shopping malls, see the Harvard Design School Guide to Shopping (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580930654/qid%3D1110216300/026-0322565-1851602)). As a proudly minor league regional airport with only a few flights a day, it has a charm that is rarely found, and a café that is open to the public in the check-in hall that overlooks the aircraft stands. Whenever I pass through, people have dropped by for a coffee, a fry-up or just to watch the planes go by. You can actually see through from the front to the back, an original dream of Foster for Stansted, now shamefully lost by the rampant commercialism of the British Airport Authority, who have ruined the clean, uncluttered interior by filling the airside with a slalom of shops and restaurants to suck every penny from the supposedly low-cost traveller.

Perhaps the low-cost airlines could be exploited to build a day's architectural tour of airports around the UK? It would be very damaging to the environment, but since the planes are going to be flying anyway, we may as well make the most of them... any suggestions?

*j*

Love it. Day trips to Transylvania and Lapland. Mmmm.

You're right - the tiny regional airports are the best fun. I like Dundee for this, and Newquay.

do you have any information about the Jinan airport? Vector management Ltd. and Buro Happold were involved in the project. Anybody knows anything about the airport and architecture concept??

I am interested in information about the new Jinan airport in China, I believe Vector Management Ltd. and Buro Happold were involved in the building. Any feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks!

Here's a view of the interior of Paul Andreu's Shanghai-Pudong Airport, 1996/1999.


Hey it's still standing. Andreu must be happy about that....

Re Jinan, found this info from Buro Happold:

http://www.burohappold.com/newslinks/pressoffice/Jinanchina.php

Re Paul Andreu and collapsing airport: probably a matter of faith in computer analysis, making no allowance for on-site bodging.

the arctic circle airport in rovaneimi seems cute, went to a lecture given by architect Mikko Heikkinen, he desribed it beautifully

Tokyo Narita is quite impressive, the only problem with it is that it's about an hour and a half away from Tokyo itself. Always loved Heathrow though, even as a child I was fascinated with it. Can't say much about Australian airports. They give the impression that they're was no architectural thought put into them. Photos of Lisbon Airport were nice, roof looked abit like a prison though. Lets hope our Cork Airport is up there in the Hall of Airport fame rather than shame. Thank god we got our airbridges in the end!!!! :)

Use Shanghai Pudong airport quite often. Am very diappointed with it....not user friendly at all...and quite a bland interior. The retail outlets are very sparse and the place has an air of wearieness about it, which is quite sad given that it is so new. The internal layout, escalators, immigration set-up, etc are a mess. The mini lake off to the side does look great as you approach the airport at night though. As for the Maglev train, it is fast, but it does not go to the city center, so most people still take a taxi!
Interestingly, the old HongQiao Airport is nearer the city center and does all domestic flights. Was supposed to be phased out, but will become the equivalent on Haneda in Tokyo...all domestic and much easier to get to from the CBD.

Most depressing airport in Asia is CKS Taipei. YOU get the feeling you wish you would have been better off not going! And most cheerful airport in my view is Katiclan (Boracay) in the Philippines. Small strip, no night flights, but a real cosy airport. Great thatched bar / waiting room at the side of the apron where you can chill on a rum shake before the flight! Makes air travel worth the bother.

cheers

the arctic circle airport in rovaneimi seems cute, went to a lecture given by architect Mikko Heikkinen, he desribed it beautifully

Now there is a lot of Finnish Airport Architecture shown and described in fresh new Annual Report (2005) of Finavia (earlier airport business part of FCAA)
http://www.ilmailulaitos.fi/annualreport

Even the cover page picture is architectural (a staircase, guess where :) )
Unfortunately the English web version is not ready yet, but you can download the whole report in PDF-format, or subscribe it via mail)

The report has sections (from architectural view point) about following airports and their details
Helsinki-Vantaa
Helsinki-Malmi
Jyväskylä
Kuusamo
VIP-terminal of Helsinki-Vantaa
Rovaniemi

And if you are interested to read or see more about Helsinki-Malmi
I recommend following links:
http://www.pelastamalmi.org/en/index.html
http://www.docomomo-fi.com/index.html
http://www.docomomo-fi.com/selection/englund-rosendahl.htm
http://www.meamnet.polimi.it/archive/017/017m1.html
http://www.rakennusperinto.fi/muuta/erp/fi_FI/ehd/_files/74938306129954779/default/aviation_building_heritage_illustrated.pdf
http://aukea.net/mp/db/Teos/yksi/?K=1254209&NRO=1&AINOA=1

Erkki Mikola

Now there is a lot of Finnish Airport Architecture shown and described in fresh new Annual Report (2005) of Finavia (earlier airport business part of FCAA)

Unfortunately the English web version is not ready yet,..

But now it is :)
http://www.finavia.fi/vuosikertomukset/2005/en/index.htm

The praslin airport was designed by Berlouis Mondon/Design Studio a local Seychellois firm. Although i should add that the timber is not local it is imported from south asia.

BAA reveal Stansted expansion plans
Airports operator BAA today unveiled its latest plan for a new runway and terminal at Stansted airport. The 3,048m long runway and terminal building will require an additional 486ha of land and cost £1.4bn by the time the terminal opens in 2015.

A consultation on upgrading transport connections into the airport will be announced next month. Upgrades to the M11, the A120 and rail connections will all be considered.

Protestors against the scheme said the airports future will become a test case for airport expansion: “"It is all very well putting a plan on paper but the hurdles that lie ahead will render this a pointless exercise," said Stop Stansted Expansion chair Peter Sanders. "Not only will this plan continue to be fiercely opposed at local level but also, it will become a much wider battle. It will become a key test as to whether – in the full knowledge of the environmental damage that it would cause – we as a society attach greater importance to protecting tomorrow's environment or to meeting today's insatiable demand for ever more cheap flights."

Full details can be found at www.stanstedairport.com/future

Badly needed was 45 minutes circling waiting to land this morning; Stansted is bursting at the seams at peak times; a few years ago you had Easy Jet And Ryanair more or less with the place to themselves; now there are multiple operators at scale out of this airport. Amazingly despite all the runway problems the terminal was a breeze and there were more than enough gates vacant.

A second runway would in fact be environmentally beneficial in that planes could land more quickly thus burning less fuel; no doubt a second runway would lead to demand for additional terminal space. In comparison to Heathrow Stansted is a far superiorm experience in every sense save for the 45 minute rail time.

I've more or less abandoned Stansted precisely because of that terrible rail connection - been let down by it too many times.

Best if they sort out the railway befroe they try increasing runways and capacity.

So now I'm a Gatwick convert. Has had a good rail link since the 1930s.

I just recently discovered your forum while doing some research on airport architecture. This is my first post here. I have read most of your comments and feel confidant that someone here will be able to help me out. I am by no miens an architect however I have worked in, slept in, and flown into many airports in my lifetime. I currently work out of T6 in New York’s JFK. Everyday I admire the progress of JetBlue’s new terminal (T5) currently being erected. Not to change the subject of this forum, it’s just that I can’t help but imagine what is next for this aging building. I am writing because I have many ideas/concepts for a new kind of terminal. A completely new design that I think will revolutionize airport operations. I really have no idea who to speak with and absolutely no clue on how to propose such things. I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction. These are serious ideas that will dramatically speed up aircraft turns, alleviate ramp congestion and save the airlines some serious change. Thank you

P.S. Favorite Airport - which ever one buys my idea!

The DAA has just put some new renders of Pier D on its website. http://www.dublinairportauthority.com/Airport_Development/Pier_D/pierD_image_gallery.html

They also have renders of T2 at
http://www.dublinairportauthority.com/Airport_Development/Terminal_2/image_gallery.html


and a walk-thru of the new terminal at
http://www.dublinairportauthority.com/Airport_Development/Terminal_2/virtual_tour_t2.html