Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, India
The new 40-hectare terminal at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport will accommodate 40 million passengers a year for both international and domestic flights, and was designed by SOM. The new four-story terminal is inspired by the form of traditional Indian pavilions, and the constellation of colors makes reference to the peacock, the national bird of India, and the symbol of the airport.
The construction site of the new terminal building was located in close proximity to the existing terminal. This vicinity inspired the elongated X-shape plan of the terminal, where modular concourses radiate outwards from the central core to minimize walking distances to boarding gates. Although the terminal is four stories, interconnecting light slots and multi-story light wells ensure that light penetrates into the lower floors of the building. At dusk, illuminated from within, the terminal glows like a sculpted chandelier.
All international and domestic passengers enter the terminal headhouse on the fourth floor, accessed from a sweeping elevated road. The headhouse roof was created using glass-fibre-reinforced gypsum panels. This canopy is supported by 30 tapered columns that are punctured with similar recesses, creating a decorative pattern of openings that are infilled with colored glazing to allow light to filter through the space.
A 900-metre long glass cable-stayed wall—the longest in the world—provides the hall's facade. The decorative canopy extends beyond the walls to offer protection from both intense heat and monsoons. The check-in hall leads to a retail hub—a common space that allows passengers to shop, eat, and watch planes take off though expansive, floor-to- ceiling windows.
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