World’s Largest airport terminal in Istanbul

Designs presented for the World’s Largest airport terminal in Istanbul

A trio of international architectural practices have been appointed to design the terminal complex for the ‘istanbul new airport’, the first phase of which is scheduled to open in 2019. located on the black sea, 35 kilometers outside of the turkish city, the collaborative project brings together the expertise of grimshaw architects, haptic architects and nordic office of architecture. the project is on track to become the world’s largest airport terminal, with a gross floor area close to one million square meters.

The encompassing canopy diffuses natural daylight that enters through carefully positioned skylights

masterplanned by arup, the vast scheme involves the construction of six runways to be delivered in four parts. The first phase will open in 2019 and aims to serve 90 mil­lion annual passengers – this will increase to over 150 mil­lion travelers once the final stage of the project is completed.

 Despite its enormous scale, the building retains a human scale throughout with an expansive central plaza and a traffic forecourt, which serves as a hub integrating rail, metro, bus and car transportation.

despite its enormous scale, the building retains a human scale throughout.

The structure is characterized by a vaulted ceiling that facilitates passenger flow and enhances way finding throughout the terminal. The encompassing canopy diffuses natural daylight that enters through carefully positioned skylights, illuminating important areas such as check-in, security, pass­port control and the site’s various re­tail outlets. In order to establish an identifiable sense of place, geometric patterns are incorporated alongside hues and tones that echo istanbul’s ever-changing light.

a traffic forecourt serves as a hub, integrating rail, metro, bus and car transportation

Grimshaw partner, Andrew Thomas commented, ‘we are delighted to have been appointed to this bold and aspirational project. We share the consortium’s ambitions to develop a truly outstanding airport design worthy of the world city of istanbul’.

 ‘we are glad to be able to respond to the high demands of the client and create an exceptional solution, both in terms of functionality and architecture’, added gudmund stokke principal partner of nordic.'

aerial image indicating the airport’s location on the black sea, 35km outside of istanbul

project info:

location: istanbul, turkey

first phase opening: 2019

first phase annual passengers: 90 million

final phase annual passengers: 150 million