Mumbai Airport
Project Details
Location: Mumbai, India
Completion Date: April 2008
Size: 21,400 sqm
Fabric: PVC - Serge Ferrari 902S & Serge Ferrari 1202S
Client: MIAL
The expansion and upgrade of the Domestic and International Airport Terminals at Mumbai Airport required innovative and aesthetically attractive canopies over the ground transport drop-off and pickup zones. The lightweight tensile membrane structures create an elegant, spacious gateway befitting India’s financial capital.
The Brief
The structures were designed in collaboration with Design Cell Landscape Architects, Hafeez Contractor Architects, Taiyo Membrane India and Makmax Australia and were designed to offer visual interest for arriving and departing passengers, as well as providing protection from Mumbai’s extreme weather.
The Concept
Innovative thinking combined with a visually intriguing finish reflects Mumbai’s wealth and sophistication, while still offering a element of practicality.
Provision for rainwater collection during Mumbai’s monsoon season was incorporated into the design, making use of our St Tropez modular designs over the taxi ranks. The connected upturned umbrella-style shapes help to funnel water into large central columns, rather than over flowing into edge gutters.
The lightweight tensile membrane material shades passengers in the hot summer months, providing sun protecting, while channeling cooling breezes through he concourse.
Regardless of the weather, the creatively beautiful undulating effects of light and colour welcome travelers to the airport.
The Materials
Two very flexible PVC fabric’s, Serge Ferrari 902s and Serge Ferrari 1202S were chosen over a solid material due to the huge space that needs to be covered. PVC fabric also provides enhanced design flexibility as well as aesthetic impact.
The high-tech tensile membrane design creates an impactful image for Mumbai Airport that reflects a city of extreme elegance, charm, and appreciation for functional creativity. Using a tensile membrane structure reduced the steel weight for the Departures Canopy from 200 tonne to 110 tonne.
The Result
From concept to completion, the Mumbai Airport upgrade won the admiration of both the Design architects and Mumbai International Airport authorities plus, it won the 2008 ACASPA Award for Excellence, Tension Structure category and was declared the overall winner in the 2008 ACASPA Award for Excellence (Australia).
