Airports are a portal to new dimensions. They allow us to dream bigger and discover new possibilities. The design of an airport is as important as its amenities and operations. A well-designed airport can ease an anxious traveler and cheer up a sad traveler.
There are many stunning airports around the world. However, Switzerland’s Zurich Airport may take the cake for its new terminal. When completed, this airport terminal will be the largest in the world made entirely from wood.
Related: London Heathrow Airport Is The Busiest Airport In The World
The Raumfachwerk project
The new airport terminal, named the Raumfachwerk project, will replace Dock A, which is aging. The word raumfachwerk translates from German to “space frame” in English. It will be made from wood and is inspired by Swiss architecture’s traditional timber pitched roofs.
Making the structure entirely out of wood is a nod to sustainability and pays homage to traditional architecture. This project is designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and aviation architects from HOK.
A new future for the airport
Once completed, the area will be split into two main areas. There will be a seven-story hub filled with restaurants and shops and an atrium with lots of natural light. There will also be a pier where travelers can find waiting areas and their gates.
“As airports grow and evolve, and as international guidelines and safety requirements change, airports tend to become more and more complex: Frankensteins of interconnected elements, patches and extensions,” says Bjarke Ingels, founder and creative director of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG).
Ingels goes on to say, “For the new main terminal of Zurich Airport, we have attempted to answer this complex challenge with the simplest possible response: a mass timber space frame that is structural design, spatial experience, architectural finish, and organizational principle in one.”
The wooden Dock A’s expected completion is in 10 years.
