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Zayed International Airport
Featured Project
Dominating a key position in the global race for fast-expanding luxury air travel and transfer points, Terminal A processes 45 million travelers each year, with the ability to accommodate up to 80 million, to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding Middle East capital.
The Gateway to Abu Dhabi
Conceived as a gateway to Abu Dhabi, the Terminal A Building is raised up from the road level giving the appearance of sitting on its own plateau. In this context the building is the dominant and most imposing structure on the horizon with a profile silhouetted against the sky.
Getting to the Gate in Record Time
Creatively and meticulously planned, Terminal A is designed to prioritize people and get passengers to and from their gate in minimal time. Zayed is primarily a transfer airport, so the design needed to ensure a smooth process between arrival, processing, and departure for both travelers and their baggage. Working closely with dozens of consultants with expertise from baggage handling to airside infrastructure, KPF tested dozens of schemes to arrive at the iconic X-shaped plan.
Linear Scheme
While this scheme presented airside efficiencies, it was the slowest for both transfer and originating passengers to reach their gate.
Y Scheme
This scheme presented a compact footprint, but was nixed due to its sharp increase in walking time for transfer passengers.
H Scheme
Nearing the final iteration of the design, this scheme still required some modifications to increase overall efficiency, especially with regard to fitting gates in efficiently around the U-shaped bend.
X Scheme
After much testing, the X scheme demonstrated the greatest programmatic efficiencies, reducing the average walking distance between points for those leaving, arriving, or transferring from Terminal A. In March 2024, Zayed International Airport Terminal A was recognized as the Best Airport at Arrivals Globally in the 2024 ASQ (Airport Service Quality) Awards.
The X-shaped scheme then had to be tweaked to fit runway needs and other operational requirements.
The entrance was then rotated to respond to the arrival road coming from downtown Abu Dhabi.
Finally, the center was shifted upward to realign with the main axis of the runway.
Abu Dhabi’s Tallest Sand Dune
Optimally efficient with its modified X-shaped plan, the roof was then designed to visually evoke an iconic gateway to the region while functionally creating a massive, column-free interior and sweeping sand and dust off its enormous surface.
The roof is one singular element, creating a continuous experience within the airport to establish a sense of place and aid in wayfinding.
The surface is altered to achieve dramatic experience and to keep sand from accumulating without raising the central arch too high for airplanes to fly over.
The roof acknowledges the central space planning and makes navigation within the airport apparent.
In the central spaces, skylights serve as wayfinding paths towards the gates and amenities.
The Ultimate Global Gateway, for People
The design of the terminal was driven by focusing on customer experience and comfort while creating the most efficient building form.
“This is an airport like no other – impressive enough to be a tourist attraction. So beautiful it’s worthy of a postcard… …Within seconds, before reaching the check-in desks, I conclude that with Terminal A, KPF has come up with a near-perfect concept. All airports should be like this.”
– Ted Thornhill, Travel Editor, The Daily Mail
Arriving for your Flight
On the approach to the terminal, the integrated system of roads and landscape leads passengers to the imposing, 50-meter-tall, free-standing glazed façade and monumental space inside.
Checking your Bag
The scale of the Departure Hall—a 50-meter-high, largely column-free space—endows the building with an open, outdoor quality, further enhanced by atmospheric lighting. The supporting arches are visually separated from the roof, making the ceiling feel almost weightless.
Finding your Gate
To aid wayfinding, each pier of the X is themed, inspired by a different element of Abu Dhabi’s character: desert, sea, city, and oasis.
Awaiting Take-off
Each pier is filled with sunlight and easy access to a rich assortment of amenities, creating an ideal rest stop environment for any journey.
The Airport as a City
At KPF, we see airports as cities–not just stagnant machines for moving people and cargo, but living, working, 24/7, flexible environments that grow and change. As such, we approached our design and planning for Zayed International Airport with considerations for lively mixed-use spaces, public art, and sustainability.
Environmental Design
The arch shaped roof geometry of the piers with the roof surface being pulled down at each segment protects the building from the sun and creates a continuous undulating form echoing the desert dunes of the Emirates. The glazed parts of the undulating pier facades are canted 14.75 degrees towards the outside, to protect the holdrooms behind from sun penetration during most daytime hours.
Incorporating Public Art
To balance the terminal’s monumental scale, a series of landmarks were created to orient passengers and provide moments of interest along their journey.
The Shell
Located at the end of the passengers’ journey, the Shell’s exterior is composed of glass with a fading frit pattern that becomes more transparent as it rises and picks up colors from the lighting. Inside the glass, a three-dimensional sculpture references the wayfinding patterns that occur throughout the terminal. This element combines polished brass with Cor-Ten steel, generating visual interest through an interplay of smooth and rough surfaces. From here, a spiral stair with concrete treads, suspended within a curved glass enclosure, leads to the floor below.
Sana Al Nour
Inspired by traditional Islamic architecture, Sana Al Nour was designed by Carpenter | Lowings in collaboration with KPF and the wider design team to direct light and air from the Departures to the Arrivals Hall.
Project Details
Accomodating up to 80 million passengers per year, Zayed Airport Terminal A is not only one of the most efficient airports in the world—it’s also one of the most beautiful, winning prestigious awards and featuring in several travel magazines.
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