Henri Coanda International Airport

The project came about in 2008 when Technital S.p.A., a leading international engineering and consulting firm, was commissioned by Romairport, for which it had already designed the first and second development phases of the airport between 1994 and 1999. Technital engaged Studio Capelli Architettura & Associati for consultation on architectural aspects. The major project involved a team which focused on two fronts to achieve two different objectives: firstly the general reconfiguration of passenger flow in preparation for Romania’s inclusion in the Schengen area, and secondly the expansion of the air terminal in order to provide capacity for 6 million passengers a year in line with IATA category B level of service, which equates to 9 million with category D. Phase III of the expansion plan, in addition to the “Finger” building which actually triples the size of the area dedicated to passenger embarkation/disembarkation activities, includes the expansion of the departures building and the partial renovation of the arrivals building. The architecture proposed is in line with the highest international standards for a building of this purpose. The organization of the interior space displays a highly original and functional interpretation of this type of building. The soft, flowing continuity of the building exterior which creates the impression of a neutral and functional container is in stark contrast with the interior, which reveals a rational composition of areas arranged based on “finite volumes”. The materials used – visible metal structures, glass, Alucobond, crystallized stoneware, SistemA by Marazzi Tecnica – endow the building with a feeling of coherent compositional rigour and chromatic sobriety.