The new terminal of India’s third largest airport is like an exotic garden enclosed in a bamboo cage. It is particularly impressed by the lush vegetation inside and the bamboo structure. The building, designed by the American studio Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, will allow the airport to serve 50 million passengers in the coming years. What’s more, the expanded airport will help cement Bengaluru’s position as ‘India’s Silicon Valley’.
City of gardens
Although the origins of Bengaluru’s airport date back to the Second World War, Kempegowda International Airport only opened in 2008. In a few years, the airport has become one of the largest in the country, thanks to the efficient efforts of state and private entities. The most important expansion was completed in 2023, and the new Terminal 2 has meant that the airport will be able to handle as many as 50 million passengers. This is roughly equivalent to the annual number of passengers at San Francisco, Mexico City or Mumbai airports.
The SOM project was also to celebrate Bengaluru’s customary name of: “city of gardens”. This inspiration can be seen from both the exterior and interior of the terminal. The road from the main airport building to the new terminal leads through a 90m-long green belt. The architects used trees and shrubs that grow in the Indian state of Karnataka. Hidden in the greenery, the building is meant to be open and inviting to passengers inside through the warm colours of bamboo wood. The new airport in the US city of Portland also uses similar solutions, which you can read about HERE.
Bamboo canopies extend from the main body for several tens of metres, so that the terminal offers a convenient transfer from nearby means of road transport. Outside, there are also service units and exhibition spaces to attract not only travellers but also local residents.
Bamboo garden
Upon entering the two-storey building, the ubiquitous bamboo appears to the eye. The cross-patterned wood wraps the walls, columns and, above all, the ceiling. The bamboo structure lets in plenty of light, both through the skylights and the gaps between the branches. Another delightful design element are the decorations and walls of the service units made of traditional rattan. The large woven structures take on various streamlined forms. Other local materials such as Indian granite (ivory brown) and red bricks also contribute to the warm, comfortable character of the interior.
Greenery befitting a ‘garden city’ is that which hangs from the ceilings, climbs the walls and pours out of cascading waterfalls. In the building, vegetation overgrows large bell-shaped lamps and hangs from suspended flowerbeds. The placement of a sizable waterfall in the middle, which further cools the interior, is an interesting intervention. Vegetation and wood occupy such a large surface area that the concrete and steel skeleton of the building is almost unnoticeable.
A green future
In addition to its friendly design, the airport also meets the highest requirements of self-sufficiency and ecology. The building uses solar energy for power and the water used to water the plants is rainwater. Intelligent energy management systems have earned the SOM project LEED Platinum energy efficiency certification. It is worth mentioning that the terminal was built using only local materials and the builders used Indian construction techniques.
Terminal 2 is also an example of forward-thinking design. All gates can adapt to both smaller, local aircraft and much larger, international aircraft. The airport management anticipates that the swing gates will allow for increased passenger numbers in the coming years. Furthermore, a third terminal is also planned, but there is currently no concrete information on its construction.
The design of the SOM in Bengaluru impresses with its pleasant interior, but does not forget modernity and functionality. It must be acknowledged that the architects have made excellent use of the local natural resources, so that the terminal fits perfectly into the tropical landscape of Bengaluru. The investment will help further the high-tech development of the city of 12 million in the south of the country.
Photo source: SOM
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