Madrid Barajas Airport
“In architectural terms they designed a wonderful building that makes an impact on everybody and created a truly functional and efficient airport that facilitates the flow of passengers through the building.” Jose Manuel Hesse Martin, Plan Barajas Director.
The terminal, which is the biggest in Spain, was commissioned to enable Barajas International Airport to compete with major hub airports within Europe. The core building comprises a sequence of parallel spaces separated by a linear block allowing daylight to penetrate deep into the interior. The same form is applied to the satellite, which is composed of two linear blocks, one for passport control and the other containing the gates.
The bamboo linear roof structure is connected above by a chain of roof lights, permitting maximum flexibility in the arrangement of accommodation on each of the floors. This enables the building to be expanded in phases. The new terminal has a metro, rail station and landside transit link to the existing terminals as well as a transit system linking the core terminal with the satellite.
Pedestrian circulation to and from the parking area is concentrated along the face of the parking structure, creating an animated façade opposite the terminal. The layout of the arrivals hall creates clear and separate routes to the various modes of ground transportation, giving equal weight to public and private transport. The arrivals and departures forecourts as well as the train and metro station are covered by a standard module of the roof, which encompasses the entire sequence of activities from drop-off to departure gate.
Environmental measures, aimed at significantly reducing energy consumption, include a stratified cooling system, displacement ventilation supply to the piers, low level air supply to all other passenger areas, extensive shading to the facades and roof lights, zoned lighting and the collection of rainwater to irrigate the landscape.
Project information:
- Place: Madrid Airport, Spain
- Date: 1997-2005
- Client: AENA
- Total Area: 1.158.000 m²
- New Terminal Building: 470,000 m²
- Satellite: 315,000 m²
- Cost: £448 million
- Structural Engineer: Anthony Hunt Associates/TPS with OTEP/HCA
- Architects: Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
- Co-Architects: Estudio Lamela
- Lighting Consultant: Arup/Speirs and Major Associates
- Façade Engineer: Arup
- Landscape Architect: dosAdos
Awards:
2008
- Airport Council International Award for Best European Airport
- RIBA Stirling Prize
- Istructe Award for Commercial or Retail Structures
- AIA/UK Excellence in Design Award
2006
- RIBA European Award
--RSHP
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Airports.
- CIBSE Case Study: Christchurch International Airport.
- Gatwick second runway.
- Heathrow Terminal 5.
- Heathrow Terminal 5 named one of world's top airports in 2019.
- Hong Kong Boundary Crossing.
- London City Airport expansion.
- McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Ashford.
- Procurement of Heathrow T5.
- Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 3.
- Thames estuary hub airport.
Featured articles and news
Timber in Construction Roadmap
Ambitious plans from the Government to increase the use of timber in construction.
ECA digital series unveils road to net-zero.
Retrofit and Decarbonisation framework N9 launched
Aligned with LHCPG social value strategy and the Gold Standard.
Competence framework for sustainability
In the built environment launched by CIC and the Edge.
Institute of Roofing members welcomed into CIOB
IoR members transition to CIOB membership based on individual expertise and qualifications.
Join the Building Safety Linkedin group to stay up-to-date and join the debate.
Government responds to the final Grenfell Inquiry report
A with a brief summary with reactions to their response.
A brief description and background to this new February law.
Everything you need to know about building conservation and the historic environment.
NFCC publishes Industry White Paper on Remediation
Calling for a coordinated approach and cross-departmental Construction Skills Strategy to manage workforce development.
'who blames whom and for what, and there are three reasons for doing that: legal , cultural and moral"
How the Home Energy Model will be different from SAP
Comparing different building energy models.
Mapping approaches for standardisation.
UK Construction contract spending up at the start of 2025
New construction orders increase by 69 percent on December.
Preparing for the future: how specifiers can lead the way
As the construction industry prepares for the updated home and building efficiency standards.
Embodied Carbon in the Built Environment
A practical guide for built environment professionals.