Design & construction
Noida International Airport is being built on a greenfield site.
170 million
2.6 million Passenger numbers
Passenger numbers for all of India in 1970.
in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.
International Civil Aviation Organisation
20
A waste management facility will allow officials to segregate and recycle plastic and glass, while a water conservation scheme is in the offing too. All this is possible, argues Klaus Bode, because Noida is being built on a greenfield site. Unlike many examples in crowded Western countries, which essentially involve tinkering with existing sites, the director at Urban Systems Design – a London practice involved in the Noida project – explains that the architects in this case have been given carte blanche. As Bode continues, that allows them to weave environmentalism right into the design. “The infrastructure is not so well developed,” he says. “So, they’re able to build more sustainable airports than other parts of the world where you’ve still got existing airports.” Fair enough: barely a year has passed since the prime minister’s trip and Noida International is already parading its green credentials. Nordic, an Oslo-based architecture firm involved in the construction, suggests Noida could enjoy LEED Gold standard certification, while managers hope the airport will be a net-zero operation.
Building back better Even before it’s finished, in short, Noida International is already being touted as India’s greenest airport – and given the sustainable shopping list it’s hard to disagree. However, what really makes the scheme special is something more fundamental: its architecture. That’s obvious enough if you glance at mock-ups posted online, with their open columns and flowing lines. But on
an even deeper level, Bode says that inspiration for the terminal comes from traditional Indian architecture, explaining how the design team borrowed much from local vernacular buildings. “You do a variety of spaces,” Bode says, “and not these homogenous monocultural environments.” In practice, the way Noida will welcome passengers feels anything but homogeneous. Consider, for instance, the terminal entrance. At Indian airports, travellers have to pass through a security checkpoint before they can check in their bags. Given the number of passengers Noida plans to take – executives hope to accommodate 12 million a year as early as 2024 – building a regular drop-off area could soon cause chaos. Instead taking a cue from traditional Indian courtyards, Bode and his colleagues envisage a generous forecourt outside the terminal building, giving people somewhere comfortable to wait. Shielded from the blazing Indian heat by canopies and movable barriers that can follow the sun, they even hope to give the space a unique microclimate, keeping people cool even when Uttar Pradesh thermometers hit a July average of 34°C. Nor is this the only area where the designers are thinking intelligently about local culture when drawing up their blueprints. Once they’re actually inside the airport, guests will be able to enjoy an internal courtyard, inspired by traditional mansions called ‘havelis’ and offering interiors plenty of l ight and fresh air. Bode hopes that duty free shops could even transfer their custom outside during cooler times of the year, giving the whole space the
Future Airport /
www.futureairport.com
Noida International Airport
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