haptic architects win riga international airport competition

haptic architects win riga international airport competition

UK and norway-based firm haptic architects, in collaboration with norwegian firms narud stokke wiig architects & planners and griff arkitektur have won the open international competition for the new airbaltic terminal at riga international airport, latvia. their proposal was selected from 125 entries, hailing from 70 countries. the competition called for ‘design concepts, both architectural and functional that best captured the aspirations and brand identity of airbaltic.’ the first phase will accommodate 7-8 million passengers per annum, while the new terminal will cater 14 million passengers.

the hexagonal roof pattern relates to the country’s history of geometrical patternwork

winning design features a roof for the airbaltic terminal that is influenced by the gently undulating forms of the latvian landscape, with peaks and troughs responding to the structure’s internal configuration and passenger flows. the internal roof soffit is composed of a hexagonal timber grid shell, with infill of timber or clear and diffused glass used to control the daylighting and acoustics of the space, while providing dramatic variation across the entirety of the roofscape. the composition of light, shade, depth and color is derived from the forest canopies found throughout latvia, while the hexagonal pattern relates to the country’s history of geometrical patternwork. 

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