Special Prize for Architecture- Bengaluru Airport T2 for the Win!

• December 29, 2023
• By: Yukti Kasera
• NEWS

The Kempegowda International Airport, also known as Bengaluru Airport (BLR Airport) Terminal 2, has won the UNESCO Prix Versailles award for the ‘World Special Prize for an Interior 2023’ which is just one more feather in its cap. The award honors originality, inventiveness, ecological efficiency, and reflections of regional heritage.

The Prix Versailles is a series of architectural competitions that highlights the most outstanding contemporary projects in the world and is announced annually at UNESCO since 2015. The ‘Silicon Valley of India’ surprises us with this beautiful sustainable architectural design.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Bengaluru Airport, India’s Phase 1 Terminal 2 on November 11, 2022. On January 15, 2023, domestic flights commenced operations, while international flights commenced operations on September 12, 2023.

The stylish terminal, also known as the ‘Garden terminal’ or the ‘Terminal in a Garden’, was constructed for about Rs 5,000 crore. Bengaluru, also referred to as Garden City- is a city whose legacy and culture are honored in the design of the new terminal. It embodies modern ideas about renewable energy and sustainable architecture, as well as a dedication to upholding the city's storied reputation as "the Garden City of India" and utilizing cutting-edge technologies.

With the goal of building a facility in this Bengaluru Airport layout, that can accommodate the 25 million additional visitors that are anticipated, the new terminal features a plethora of natural materials like brick and bamboo, as well as interior planting and lush exterior gardens that were designed in collaboration with Grant Associates and Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla. The entire idea is to maintain Bengaluru's standing as the "Garden City."

The design language focuses on natural stone, rattan, brick, and engineered bamboo- how the finishes and materials could enhance the surrounding environment. The designers had never used engineered bamboo before, but it was a great choice because it is a much more sustainable and renewable material, it can be used both inside and outside the terminal, its structural integrity meant fewer secondary supports were needed, and it has a natural beauty that goes well with the garden idea. In this Bengaluru Airport bamboo design style, passengers will be reminded of walking through a garden when they combine the bamboo's layering and natural materials with the landscaping and natural light it brings into the terminal areas.

Despite being uncomplicated, the building's design allows for the terminal's future growth without interfering with its current operations. This inherent flexibility was incorporated into the design of all the systems and functional layouts. Eliminating conflicts between arriving passengers coming out of the terminal and the typical car chaos at the curbs was another challenge. The designers created a clear route to all of the on-site attractions, featuring distinct entrances for each type of vehicle as well as the Metro Terminus, which will shortly have an airport connection. To achieve this, they also lowered the curbs and parking.

The designers also collaborated closely with Grant Associates, our landscape architect, and Brandston Partnership Inc. (BPI)- the lighting designers, to strike a balance between the building's energy loads and the plants' needs for daylighting. The skylights were adjusted to give the interior areas just the right quantity of filtered natural daylight.

This T2 Terminal at Kempegowda International Airport is all about sustainability and well-being. It is the biggest terminal globally, having received pre-certification as a LEED Platinum building from the US Green Building Council (USGBC) even before its official opening. 

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