The global architecture and engineering company, AECOM, and the Italian design studio, Pininfarina, have won the international design competition to build the air traffic control (ATC) tower and technical building at the Istanbul New Airport.
The win marks the first collaboration between AECOM and Pininfarina, the design studio known for its car designs for Ferrari and Alfa Romeo, as well as train designs for Eurostar.
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AECOM head of architecture for Europe, Middle East, India and Africa Jennifer Dixon said: "In this competition, our aim was to combine the dynamism and romance of Pininfarina’s architectural style that is so influenced by automotive design with AECOM’s in-house aviation architecture capabilities.
"The AECOM and Pininfarina team has created a beautiful and highly functional piece that rekindles the excitement and glamour of modern air travel at the crossroads of Europe and Asia."
The ATC will be a landmark for the new airport at Istanbul located at the European side of the city on the Black Sea coast about 35km from the centre.
The innovative design reflects the aerodynamic forms used in automotive and aviation design.
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By GlobalDataThe design shows a curving tower, drawing its reference from the age-old symbol of Istanbul, the tulip, which reflects the cultural heritage of Turkish history.
The collaboration won over the entries of five other shortlisted international architectural teams that include Zaha Hadid, Fuksas, Moshe Safdie, Grimshaw-Nordic and RMJM.
IGA chief executive officer Yusuf Akçayoglu said: "One of the world’s largest aviation projects, Istanbul New Airport’s air traffic control tower will be an iconic structure, visible to all passengers travelling through the airport.
"We were looking for a striking design fit for a 21st century airport while remaining sensitive to Istanbul’s unique heritage."
The airport will be built in four phases with the first phase scheduled to open in 2018.
With an initial capacity of 90 million passengers every year, the airport will have six runways and three terminal buildings built in the subsequent phases.
The expansion will be able to accommodate up to 200 million passengers annually.
Image: The elliptical tower reflects the symbol of Istanbul, the tulip. Photo: courtesy of BusinessWire.
