In 1992, the Berlin-Schönefeld Airport had a capacity of three million passengers a year, which should be increased by 4.5 million with a new terminal. In the course of this expansion it was also planned to build 6000 square metres of office space. The design had to fit very clear basic conditions: The possible width of the building was limited to 80 metres because of the existing land and air-side connections. The budget was exactly fixed, to an amount that was 40 percent under the budget of comparable German airport projects. We reacted to these difficult conditions with a technically mature and elegant building and were able to win the competition.
The clear geometry of the new terminal takes up the longitudinal axis of the existing terminal building. The office building is easily recognized by its glass shield and presents the new terminal to the street. The offices seem to float over the curved roof of the entrance hall, which is extended up to the drop off area. Glass bridges structure the office spaces and offer views of the terminal. These breaks mark the access points to the entrance hall even from a distance. They provide a clear orientation that is concluded in the inside: The different areas of the terminal are consequently arranged according to the movement of the passengers so that a sequence of rooms is created that is easily understandable.
An aim of all our designs is the creation of a pleasant climate without the use of complicated and costly air conditioning systems. In this case, the building was to be situated, directly next to the runway, with its extreme noise level. This was a high technical challenge, so we developed a glass noise protection shield for the offices. The shape of the shield was aerodynamically optimised in a wind tunnel. It is installed in front of the actual façade so that a gap of air is created which constantly provides fresh air to the offices. The noise level behind the shield is so low that the rooms behind it can be ventilated individually and without additional costs by simply opening the windows, without being bothered by the noise of the runway.
| Terminal West Berlin-Schönefeld Airport (D) building costs approx. 130 million EUR floor area 56,000 sqm |