ST. PETERSBURG’S PULKOVO AIRPORT BY GRIMSHAW ARCHITECTS

Four architectural bureaus took part in the competition, project of the British company Grimshaw & Partners Ltd. was chosen as a winner. Grimshaw have been chosen to design the new 450 million euro Pulkovo Airport.

Сarrying capacity of the airport will be essentially increased, it will help to increase passenger traffic, to open new domestic and international flights, to extend flow of transfer passengers, to realize the newest airport technologies and will help large interchange node – hub.

Re-construction project includes the use of high international standards of safety and technical equipment of the airport, modern check-in procedures, customs legalization and passport control. With introduction of the new terminal in 2013 Pulkovo airport will become one of the leading modern air transport nodes in Northern Europe.

“The city’s heritage and its future have come together in the design of the new terminal project and Grimshaw’s uniquely designed roof is inspired by St Petersburg’s historical architecture. We believe that Grimshaw’s terminal building will not only become a new St Petersburg landmark, but also a comfortable and functional facility,” said Konyashchenkov, Pulkovo’s deputy director.

The Grimshaw architects was able to capture and portray the spirit of the city within the designs. Mark Middleton is a partner at Grimshaw Architects and has headed the Pulkovo Airport project. As Middleton explained, the new roof and envelope has been designed with sustainability in mind, to provide the greatest protection from extreme snowfall in winter and to make the best use of low natural light. “We studied the city of St Petersburg very carefully and tried to respond to the local climate as much as possible. We designed a flat roof, with thin roof lights and reflectors to guild the light,” he said.

The internal layout of the new terminal consists of well-defined zones, connected by individual walkways that resemble the city’s layout of islands and bridges. The cultural influence is strengthened by a sculpture-lined boulevard, which forms the airport gateway and is reminiscent of St Petersburg’s Grand Avenue..

The masterplan represents and responds to the climate and heritage of St Petersburg. The striking new terminal roof and envelope are designed to accommodate the extremes of climate experienced by the city. The most prominent of these are the heavy snowfalls experienced in winter. The roof is created from a series of 18m bays, which effectively act as large hoppers, shallow enough not to encourage gathering snow, but deep enough to provide effective drainage.

The drains are located directly above the roof's supportive columns to ensure that the greatest snow load is concentrated on the area of maximum structural support. The roof lights are positioned above the datum line to give them the greatest protection from blanketing snow and to enable them to make optimal use of the low angle natural light.

Pulkovo Airport should act as a gateway to both St. Petersburg and Russia, while reflecting the city it serves. Therefore, the internal layout of the new terminal consists of well-defined and separate zones connected by individual walkways to echo the external layout of islands and bridges which make up the city. These grand, open rooms are analogous with the many civic spaces found in St Petersburg, emphasising the airport's role as the first and last great public space of the city.

This emphasis is carried through into the Airport City masterplan. This focuses on the sculpture lined boulevard which forms the Airport Gateway. It is reminiscent of St. Petersburg's Grand Avenue, and terminates in a large square which will represent the past, present and future of St Petersburg through a series of pavilions.

 

Location: St. Petersburg, Russia 
Architect: GrimshawArchitects 
Size: 52,000 sq m 
Completion Date: 2015 
Award: 1 Prize Competition Pulkovo Airport St. Petersburg, Russia

THAMES HUB BY FOSTER + PARTNERS

London Mayor Boris Johnson supports a new Thames Estuary airport while architect Lord Foster has submitted his own estuary airport plan, considers the proposed Thames Hub, an integrated infrastructure plan for Britain, inspired by the lessons of nineteenth-century pioneers.

Further studies have been undertaken into the proposed Thames Hub, which includes: a £20bn high-speed Orbital Rail line around London; a new £6bn Thames Barrier and crossing; and a £20bn international Estuary Airport, with annual capacity for 150 million passengers.

All of this takes place in the context of a comprehensive environmental management strategy that minimises the impact of development and provides opportunities to create significant new wildlife habitats to more than offset losses elsewhere. The total estimated cost of the project is £50bn.

Critics of the Thames airport proposals have said that building an airport in the estuary, off north Kent, could take decades. But Huw Thomas, from Foster and Partners, said the time from starting work to opening would be seven years. He said the key advantage to the site was that it could be reached from three sides by sea.

Thomas told BBC Radio Kent: "You've got really good connectivity from land. You've got access to ports for delivering material. "In terms of doing the landfill, you've got easy access to the dredge sites that will provide the material - so you're creating a greenfield site.”

"You've got to move a motorway junction for the primary access. You've got to suppress the roads. You've got to demolish all of that infrastructure. You've got to reconfigure the whole of the airport in order to get to that third runway."

The three plans to build airports in the Thames estuary comprise a floating airport designed by architects Gensier, another known as ‘Boris Island’ after it was backed by London mayor Boris Johnson, and proposals for a hub airport on the Isle of Grain designed by architect Norman Foster. Proposals for increased airport capacity in the southeast have also included the expansion of Gatwick and Heathrow and more use of regional airports.

CARRASCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BY RAFAEL VIÑOLY

Carrasco International Airport, officially known as "Aeropuerto Internacional de Carrasco General Cesareo L. Berisso," is located 11 miles (18 kilometers) east of downtown Montevideo, the capital city of Uruguay.

With one million passengers per year, it is the only airport in the country that provides year-round international connections, and as a result carries great symbolic value as the “front door” for many visitors to the country.

With this distinction in mind, Puerta del Sur, the airport owner and operator, commissioned Rafael Viñoly Architects PC to expand and modernize the existing facilities with a spacious new passenger terminal to expand capacity and spur commercial growth and tourism in the region.

The firm's design places prominence on the public zones—including the secure runway-side concourse as well as the fully accessible roadside departure hall and terrace—by providing amenities such as open space, natural light, restaurants, retail, and landscaping, all housed beneath a gently curved roof, 1,000 feet (300 meters) in length.

Arrivals and departures are separated by floor, with arrivals on the ground level, departures on the first floor, and vehicular access roads that service each level independently.

A public, landscaped terrace occupies the second floor above the departure level, providing views of the runway and the main public concourse. It also features a restaurant and additional space for other commercial or cultural uses.

After completing check-in and security procedures, departing travelers have access to duty-free shopping and restaurants in the waiting areas. Arriving travelers pass through a mezzanine level, fully glazed to allow terminal and runway views that help orient newcomers to the terminal space, before descending to the baggage claim, customs, immigration, and further duty-free shopping areas.

An open atrium adjacent to the street entrance visually and spatially links the beginning and ending stages of a traveler’s journey, and opens the ground floor to the monumental space of the main hall.

"In Uruguay, friends and family still come to greet you at the airport or see you off," says Rafael Vinoly, "so this terminal provides great spaces for the people who aren't traveling as well as those who are. The atrium, the main hall, the terrace, and the passenger concourse make this a dramatic and welcoming place for everyone."

Program: A 460,000-square-foot, three-story terminal encompassing an arrivals hall on the ground level, departures on the main level, and a terrace on top, with restaurants and retail spaces throughout.

Viñoly topped the V-shaped concrete terminal with a gently curving monolithic white roof inspired by the rolling dunes along Uruguay’s coast. Designed as a single 1,200-foot-long shell spanning the terminal, the roof appears to hover. Inside, the ceiling—which forms one continuous surface devoid of fixtures—is uplit for an even distribution of indirect light, enhancing the floating effect.

White thermoplastic membrane roof cladding reduces the heat island effect, and a fully glazed cladding system maximizes daylight inside the terminal. Viñoly’s design gives prominence to public spaces, from the open, airy main concourse to the landscaped public terrace offering views of the runway and the concourse below.

Location: Montevideo, Uruguay

Architect: Rafael Viñoly Architects

Associate Architect: Carla Bechelli Architects

Project Director: David Rolland AIA, JIA, NCARB, LEED AP

Project Manager: Alex Regueiro

Structural Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti Group

Construction Manager: Puerta del Sur S.A.

Year: 2009