Author: Janis Vanags
Source: A/S Air Baltic Corporation
125 architectural concepts received for the international design contest of the new airBaltic terminal organized by the Latvian national airline airBaltic. An international jury is now considering the concepts.
Bertolt Flick, airBaltic president and executive director: “The capacity of Riga International Airport is exhausted as of now and a new terminal is needed urgently. Various terminal concepts have been discussed for many years until earlier this year the government delegated the terminal project to airBaltic. We are organizing an international architecture contest, so that Riga and Latvia would get a functional terminal, as well as a brand new representation object that will serve as a business card of the country.”
The purpose of this international contest is to invite architects to create an innovative architectural and functional concept for the new terminal. The winning first stage design/concept would be used in a subsequent second stage with a view towards eventual delivery of the terminal complex. Architects are invited to create their concepts for a terminal with capacity of around 7-8 million annual passengers (14 million eventually) on a designated vacant site at Riga airport. Architects from 70 countries in the world indicated interest in the process.
A jury of internationally recognized professionals, local dignitaries and airBaltic management will assess the submitted architectural design concepts by mid-October.
The jury is made up of a number of distinguished participants, including British architect Marcus Lee, who designed Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport in London and has received the Stirling Award for the design of the airport in Madrid. He is joined by Irish engineer Dervilla Mitchell, who also worked on Terminal 5 at Heathrow, Swedish architect Åke Bejne, who is a former chairman of the Swedish Architects Association, Dace Putniņa, the founder and co-owner of the KUBS architectural firm, Jānis Dripe, the chief architect of the city of Riga, and Bertolt Flick, president and executive director of airBaltic.
The contest is being managed on behalf of airBaltic by Ove Arup and Partners, one of the world’s largest engineering firms, from their offices in London.
airBalticin brief:
AIR BALTIC CORPORATION (airBaltic) is a joint stock company that was established in 1995. The primary shareholders are the Latvian state, with 52.6% of stock, and SIA Baltijas aviācijas sistēmas, with 47.2% of stock. The airBaltic fleet consists of 33 aircraft – ten Boeing 737-500, eight Boeing 737-300, two Boeing 757-200, ten Fokker 50 airplanes and three Bombardier Q400Next Gen. airBaltic offers nonstop flights from three Baltic capital cities – Riga, Vilnius, and Tallinn. airBaltic received the title of Airline of the Year 2009/2010 (Gold Award) from the European Regions Airline Association. airBaltic is the winner of Air Transport World Phoenix Award 2010 – a global recognition of excellence in restructuring business. airBaltic was chosen for anna.aero ANNIES Award as Europe's largest flag carrier by new routes.
To publish this article please contact BalticTravelnews.eu editorial board
MOST POPULAR of WEEK
