New Lahore airport by Gilbartolomé architects

New Lahore Airport

The Spanish office GilBartolomé Architects have designed the new and iconic terminal which will serve 25 million passengers every year, thus becoming one of the most ambitious and modernizing projects for Pakistan.

New Lahore Airport
Image © Gilbartolomé architects

The construction works will start by the end of 2017.

New Lahore Airport
Image © Gilbartolomé architects

A building that wraps another building
One of the greatest challenges involved in the design was the need to incorporate the existing terminal, with a current capacity of 4.5 million passengers per year, integrating it both aesthetically and functionally in the final scheme, and keeping it operative throughout the process of the construction works.

New Lahore Airport
Image © Gilbartolomé architects

In order to achieve this, the existing terminal was planned to remain nearly untouched, building the new extension around it, with a gardened patio which lets natural light inside the building and it is pierced by walkways that connect the old and the new buildings. The result showcases the existing building -built in 2003- and at the same time proposes a coherent whole, and a flexible and functional interior scheme.

New Lahore Airport
Image © Gilbartolomé architects

Landscaping and environment
The building responds to Lahore’s flat topography and takes inspiration in the earthy colours of the ceramic architecture of the Punjab, which is also the existing building’s and the adjacent mosque. The new building responds to the latter with a direct connection and an exclusive park for the travelers.

New Lahore Airport
Image © Gilbartolomé architects

The Hypostyle hall. A wide contemporary public space for Lahore
The space itself is 18 meters high, separated in two open levels, and ordered by the structure of pillars holding the roof of the building. The check-in hall -above-, so as the cafeterias, restaurants and indoor gardens -below-, allow for the enjoyment of a space that connects the architectural tradition of the large Hypostyle halls with GilBartolome’s contemporary design language .

New Lahore Airport
Image © Gilbartolomé architects

An atmosphere of light and vegetation
The incorporation of vegetation inside the building produces undeniable positive effects on the users. Such effects include stress and anxiety reduction, improvements in concentration and the perceived welfare. The aesthetic effects of vegetation are not only limited to those related to visuals, but also the scent, the humidity and an improvement in the air quality that evocates a sense of connection with nature, luxury and careful attention.

New Lahore Airport
Image © Gilbartolomé architects

The architects has designed a system that combines properly modulated natural light, which penetrates through skylights on the roof, with indirect artificial lighting that emanates from the ceiling, melting in, with the aim of creating a warm atmosphere which highlights the formal and geometrical richness. Source by Gilbartolomé architects.

New Lahore Airport
Image © Gilbartolomé architects
  • Location: Lahore, Pakistan
  • Architect: Gilbartolomé architects
  • Engineering: Typsa and Pakistani Asian Consulting
  • GFA: 260.500m2
  • Year: 2017
  • Images: Courtesy of Gilbartolomé architects

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *