BIG and HOK's timber concept wins Zurich Airport competition
A team of architects led by BIG and HOK have won an international competition to design the largest dock of Zurich Airport in Switzerland.
Composed predominantly of regional wood, The new Dock A and adjacent buildings seek to strengthen the airport’s continued status as the gateway of Switzerland.
Bjarke Ingels, BIG founder and creative director, said: “As airports grow and evolve and as international guidelines and safety requirements change, airports tend to become more and more complex: Frankensteins of interconnected elements, patches and extensions.
“For the new main terminal of Zurich Airport, we have attempted to answer this complex challenge with the simplest possible response: A mass timber space frame that is structural design, spatial experience, architectural finish and organizational principle in one.
"The striking structure is made from locally sourced timber, and the long sculptural body of the roof is entirely clad in solar shingles turning sunlight into a power source.
"A simple yet expressive design – rooted in tradition and committed to innovation – embodying the cultural and natural elements of Swiss architecture.”
Expected to open in 10 years, the new Dock A, which includes Schengen and Non-Schengen gates, airside retail, lounges, offices, the new air traffic control tower and an extension of the immigration hall, will be the next milestone in the airport’s expansion.
Other design practices who worked on the winning proposal – which was selected from 10 entries – included 10:8 architects, engineer Buro Happold, timber experts Pirmin Jung and aviation consultant NACO.
Based on the team’s concept of the ‘Raumfachwerk’ – a robust yet flexible structural framework – the design proposal celebrates the passenger experience and movement through the airport.
Located adjacent to the existing Airside Center and Terminal 1, the new Dock A is defined by two main areas: a central hub and a pier.
The central hub features shopping, airport services for arriving and departing passengers and vertical circulation. The pier includes gates, waiting areas and fixed links connecting to the planes.
To enhance the passenger experience, the spaces within the new terminal use daylight as a natural wayfinding system.
A linear skylight created by the unfolding roof of the pier widens toward the central hub and opens into the atrium, where all departing, arriving and transferring passengers meet.
Placing the control tower here, in the centre of the space, enables travellers to experience the tower from the inside as a beacon that creates a sense of place – more akin to a town square than an airport.
The contemporary, pared-back material palette envisions timber as the primary material for all Dock A’s structure, floors and ceilings.
As a renewable local resource, timber pays homage to the longstanding local tradition of wood construction in Switzerland, while allowing for efficient prefabrication during the construction process.
Professor Harry Gugger, chairman of the design competition's jury, said: “The backbone of the project is formed by a structure that is not just load-bearing, but defines and adapts the space, creates a unique atmosphere and provides a distinctive identity true to its place and era.
"This project marks not only a new milestone for Zurich Airport, but for the entire aviation industry.
"The jury was delighted and grateful to endorse such a groundbreaking design that will help to revive sustainable wood construction for great infrastructure projects.”
Bjarke Ingels BIG 10:8 architects Buro Happold Pirmin Jung NACO
BIG's designs Prague concert hall to be vibrant centre of life
Bjarke Ingels and Marc Lore reveal plans for Telosa, 'world's most sustainable city'
Bjarke Ingels-designed Oakland baseball stadium a step closer
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
BodyHoliday plans 10-15 locations in the next 15 years
Floating wellbeing destination planned for London’s Royal Docks
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
