The airport is planned to give a significant increase capacity and establish a new regional air hub in the Gulf. Foster & Partners has designed a flexible masterplan for the site, with the terminal located to enable future expansion. The airport will initially accommodate 13 million passengers per year, with the flexibility to increase to 25 million passengers and to accommodate 50 million passengers with further development.
It has a trefoil plan, comprising three symmetrical wings of departure gates. Each façade spans 1.2km and all extend from a 25m-high central space.
There will be a single roof canopy, punctuated by glazed openings that filter daylight. The canopy extends to shade an entrance plaza and is supported by tapering concrete columns.
The project targets LEED ‘gold’ – it aims to be the first passenger terminal in the world to attain this level of environmental accreditation. The concrete structure provides thermal mass and the roof incorporates a large expanse of photovoltaic panels to harvest solar energy.
Chief executive of Foster & Partners Mouzhan Majidi said: “The scale of the airport shows Kuwait’s great foresight in recognising the benefits of strategic investment in future infrastructure. The environmental ambitions driving the project are equally impressive. We are pleased to have this opportunity to reveal our designs. The emblematic three-winged form will be as memorable from the air as from the ground – a new symbol of contemporary Kuwait, which resonates with its rich culture and history.”
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
