SOM unites mumbai airport terminal with fractal roof canopy

SOM unites mumbai airport terminal with fractal roof canopy
image courtesy of SOM; photographer, robert polidori / © mumbai international airport

skidmore, owings & merrill (SOM) has completed the new terminal building of mumbai’s chhatrapati shivaji international airport, designed to deal with the city’s great influx of visitors. developed to accommodate 40 million annual travelers, the complex combines international and domestic passenger services beneath one encompassing roof canopy, reducing customer walking distance and optimizing logistical operations between domestic and international flights. responding to the region’s economic growth, the project forms a landmark gateway to the country that simultaneously celebrates india’s rich and diverse cultural heritage.

the terminal is designed to accommodate 40 million annual travelers
image courtesy of SOM; photographer, robert polidori / © mumbai international airport

referencing the form of vernacular indian pavilions, the four-storey building places a central podium – termed the ‘headhouse’ – on top of adaptable concourses below. generously proportioned curbside drop-off zones have been designed to accommodate large indian arrival and departure ceremonies, while regional patterns and textures are integrated at all scales of the scheme’s architecture. from the articulated coffered treatment on the headhouse columns and roof surfaces to the intricate jali window screens that filter light into the central concourses, SOM’s design demonstrates the potential for a modern airport to incorporate local and traditional elements.

visitors are greeted with a warm, light-filled chamber supported by thirty mushrooming columns
image courtesy of SOM; photographer, robert polidori / © mumbai international airport

all passengers arriving at the terminal building enter through the headhouse on the fourth floor, accessed from a sweeping elevated roof. embracing the travelers and providing an engaging sense of place, the canopy extends across the entirety of the arrivals roadway protecting guests from mumbai’s unpredictable weather. a 50 foot tall glazed wall opens to the vast volume of the check-in hall. once inside, visitors are greeted with a warm, light-filled chamber, sheltered beneath a long-span roof supported by thirty mushrooming columns, which call to mind the interior courtyards of local houses. recessed within the canopy’s coffers, small disks of colorful glass reflect speckled light across the grand hall below. the kaleidoscopic effect references the peacock, the national bird of india and the symbol of the airport itself.

the canopy extends across the arrivals roadway, protecting guests from mumbai’s unpredictable weather
image courtesy of SOM; photographer, robert polidori / © mumbai international airport

the check-in hall then leads to a retail hub where travelers can dine and relax while watching planes take off through vast floor-to-ceiling windows. throughout the concourse, custom chandeliers reference the lotus flower while mirror mosaic works created by local artists provide a sense of place absent at many global airports. although the terminal is spread across four storeys, interconnecting light slots and multi-storey lightwells ensure that daylight penetrates into the lower floors of the building, acting as a constant reminder of the surrounding city and landscape. at dusk, illuminated from within, the design glows like a sculpted chandelier.

the volumes created by the columns call to mind the interior courtyards of regional architecture
image courtesy SOM / © SOM

the construction site was located in close proximity to the existing terminal which had to remain fully operational throughout the process. this requirement influenced the elongated X-shape plan of the complex, which could both fit around existing structures and incorporate its modular designs. this form also allows for the consolidation of important passenger processing, baggage handling, and retail/dining functions at the center of the structure. at each level, radiating piers permit the shortest possible walking distances from the center to boarding areas, while maximizing the site’s perimeter for potential aircraft gates. the structure’s roof ensures further flexibility, giving a feeling of openness to the large processing areas below, but also allowing for maximum internal adaptability in the arrangement of ticket counters and other customer facilities.

the multi-storey columns puncture individual storeys , pervading the entirety of the scheme
images courtesy SOM / © SOM

from an environmental perspective, terminal 2 uses a high-performance glazing system with a custom frit pattern designed to achieve optimal thermal performance and mitigate glare. perforated metal panels within the building’s curtain wall filter low sung angles, establishing a comfortably illuminated space for waiting passengers, and responsive daylight controls that balance external and internal luminance levels for optimal energy savings. additionally, strategically-placed skylights throughout the check-in hall reduce the terminal’s energy usage by 23%.

image courtesy of SOM; photographer, robert polidori / © mumbai international airport

throughout the concourse, custom chandeliers reference the region’s lotus flower
image courtesy of SOM; photographer, robert polidori / © mumbai international airport

the entrance to the terminal building
image courtesy of SOM; photographer, robert polidori / © mumbai international airport

at dusk, illuminated from within, the design glows like a sculpted chandelier
image courtesy of SOM; photographer, robert polidori / © mumbai international airport

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project info:

location: mumbai, india
project completion: 2014
site area: 105 hectares
project area: 450,000 sqm
number of storeys: 4
building height: 45 m
market: aviation, master plan
service: architecture, MEP, structural + civil engineering

owner/client: GVK, mumbai international airport pvt. ltd
architect: skidmore, owings & merrill LLP – roger duffy (design partner), anthony vacchione (managing partner), charles besjak (structural director), laura ettelman (project manager, director), scott duncan (senior design architect), derek moore (senior aviation planner), peter lefkovits (design architect), narin gobindranauth (technical architect), preetam biswas (structural engineer)

structural engineer: skidmore, owings & merrill LLP
architect and engineer of record: larsen & toubro limited
MEP engineer: skidmore, owings & merrill LLP
lighting design: brandston partnership inc.
acoustics: cerami & associates
communication, IT, security & special systems: mulvey & banani
signage & wayfinding: pentagram & entro communication
baggage handling: BNP associates
vertical transportation: van deusen & associates
cultural design collaboration: abu jani – sandeep khosla