Airport architecture

[tu160]

"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??

[dereklepper]

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.

[Paul Clerkin]

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

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

[Paulo2005]

Lisbon's International Airport

[Hugh]

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

[alan d]

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

[Paul Clerkin]

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Cesar Pelli has partnered with Winnipeg's Stantec Architecture to replace the Winnipeg Airports Authority's outdated terminal.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

[Hugh]

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

[Paul Clerkin]

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...

[Hugh]

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

[Paul Clerkin]

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

[lexington]

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

[dereklepper]

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

[PVC King]

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.

[jamesinbelfast]

You may laugh (although only if you've been through it :-) but I nominate Norwich Airport

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). 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*

[Hugh]

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.

[gustavo]

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??

[gustavo]

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!

[MatB]

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....

[Hugh]

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.

[Mod_Con]

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

[A-ha]

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!!!!

[corcaighboy]

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

[Erkki Mikola]

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

[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