At Florence, Italy’s Aeroporto Amerigo Vespucci, the new international airport terminal will feature a fully operating vineyard on the facility’s rooftop. Designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, the terminal is expected to see over 5.9 million passengers annually. Renderings for the project have recently been released.
The 538,195-sf terminal project will involve both lengthening the existing runway and reorienting it 90 degrees away from the nearby hills, which have limited the operations of many modern planes.
The airport design aims to create a sense of place and improve the passenger experience. In the skylit terminal, arrivals and departures will face each other across a large, central public space, the Piazza. This organization will help streamline circulation into and out of the terminal.
In addition, the terminal will provide access to mass transit, parking, and retail, which will serve both travelers and the local community. The terminal will be connected to the city and the wider region by multimodal transport options, including a new light rail system.
A distinctive feature of the project is a 19-acre vineyard rising above the terminal. This will include 38 active vineyard rows on the building’s sloping roof—contributing to LEED Platinum sustainability rating and representing Italy’s winemaking tradition. A leading winegrower from the region will cultivate the vineyards, and the wine will be crafted and aged in special cellars located beneath the terminal’s roof.
The airport terminal will be completed in two phases: Phase one is expected to be finished in 2026, phase two in 2035.
On the Building Team:
Owner: Toscana Aeroporti SpA
Design architect and architect of record: Rafael Viñoly Architects
MEP engineer: Tekne SpA
Structural engineer: Eckersley O’Callaghan (EOC)
General contractor: Toscana Aeroporti Construction (TAC)
Related Stories
Airports | Oct 30, 2015
HOK designs new terminal for Salt Lake City International Airport
The $1.8 billion building will have floor-to-ceiling windows, a spacious central "Canyon," and energy-efficient systems. It will open in 2020.
Airports | Oct 5, 2015
Perkins+Will selected to design Istanbul’s 'Airport City'
The mixed-use development will be adjacent to the Istanbul New Airport, which is currently under construction.
Airports | Sep 30, 2015
Takeoff! 5 ways high-flyin' airports are designing for rapid growth
Nimble designs, and technology that humanizes the passenger experience, are letting airports concentrate on providing service and generating revenue.
Airports | Sep 23, 2015
JFK Airport's dormant TWA terminal will be reborn as a hotel
After 15 years of disuse, the Googie architecture-inspired TWA Flight Center at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport will be transformed into a hotel. Gizmodo reports that the city’s Port Authority chose a renovation proposal from Jet Blue this week.
Giants 400 | Sep 17, 2015
AIRPORT SECTOR GIANTS: KPF, Hensel Phelps, Jacobs top rankings of nation's largest airport terminal sector AEC firms
BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest airport terminal sector design and construction firms, as reported in the 2015 Giants 300 Report.
Airports | Aug 31, 2015
Surveys gauge users’ satisfaction with airports
Several surveys gauge passenger satisfaction with airports, as flyers and airlines weigh in on technology, security, and renovations.
Airports | Aug 31, 2015
Small and regional airports in a dogfight for survival
Small and regional airports are in a dogfight for survival. Airlines have either cut routes to non-hub markets, or don’t provide enough seating capacity to meet demand.
Airports | Aug 31, 2015
Airports expand rental car facilities to ease vehicular traffic at their terminals
AEC teams have found fertile ground in building or expanding consolidated rental car facilities, which are the No. 1 profit centers for most airports.
Airports | Aug 31, 2015
Experts discuss how airports can manage growth
In February 2015, engineering giant Arup conducted a “salon” in San Francisco on the future of aviation. This report provides an insight into their key findings.
Airports | Jul 28, 2015
Plans to make over New York’s aging LaGuardia Airport are revealed
The complete redesign, devised by a panel of experts, would unify terminals, relieve ground traffic congestion, and install state-of-the-art amenities.
