British architectural firm Foster + Partners has won an international competition to design a new terminal for Abha Airport in Saudi Arabia’s Aseer region.
Inspired by the nearby Rijal Almaa village, the winning design reinvents the airport terminal as a series of interconnected human-scale clusters, outdoor courtyards and walkways, said a statement from Foster + Partners.
The scheme brings fresh air, greenery and natural light to the experience of travel, transforming the passenger journey and setting a benchmark for this new typology of airport design, it stated.
Stefan Behling, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners, said: “Learning from the local vernacular, our terminal guides passengers through a series of inviting human-scale spaces and connects them with green courtyards, which are open to the elements. This is a complete reinvention of the airport as we know it, with an emphasis on traditional Aseeri details, local materials and terraced landscaping. It is both a celebration of – and an introduction to – the beauty of the Aseer region,” he stated.
