Initial sketches released of Istanbul’s third airport

European architects have been tasked with drawing up the plans for Istanbul's third airport, which when completed will have the world's largest passenger capacity. Four European architecture firms, led by the Norway-based Nordic Office of Architecture, were the tender winners to work in collaboration on drawing up the plans for Istanbul's 90-billion lira third airport, which is anticipated to have a 150 million-passenger capacity. Founder and CEO of Nordic Office Gudmund Stokke, recently released details of the project they are undertaking on the firm's internet website. By posting sketches of the project, Stokke shows the fine details of the city's planned third airport on paper. The project, the details of which were first published by SABAH, consists of three different wings. Perhaps the most striking characteristic of the design is its resemblance to a space ship. Supposedly, over 80 planes will be able to park in the main terminal at any given time.

CENTERED ON A LARGE BUSINESS COMPLEX

Stokke notes that the project's design places main priority on the sections that will host passengers. "There will be a large complex in the middle of the structure. This complex will have shops and will also include solutions such as business centers." Stokker, who also points out that they have completed airport projects in the past in India, Norway and the Maldives, says that the prospect of the Istanbul project excites them.

Experienced in airports…

With 40 years of experience behind them, Nordic Office has worked on both the Hyderabad Airport in India and the Gardermoen Airport in Oslo. Amongst their partners on the Istanbul airport project is legendary architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw's firm Grimshaw Architects, which have worked on South Korea's Incheon as well as the Zurich, Pulkovo, Heathrow and Frankfurt airports. The project's other two partners are British firm Haptic Architech, which are serving as consultants on the Yuzhny Greenfield Airport in Rostov and the London-based Arup Associates, which have signed on to 38 projects in Turkey thus far, including the Sabiha Gökçen Airport.

In numbers, the finer details of Istanbul's third airport project:

* A 3,500 hectare total area
* A 1,100 hectare trade space
* 165 passenger bridges
* A four-rail system terminal
* Eight control towers
* 16 taxi roads
* An apron with a 500-plane parking capacity
* A parking lot with a 70,000-vehicle capacity
* An aviation medical center
* A large shopping facility

This is a translation of an article originally written by Kerim Ülker.