Guadalajara Airport
Guadalajara - Mexico
220,000 sq. ft.
Concept
Guadalajara Terminal
Traveling by plane today is as frequent as it was to travel by car a few years ago, however, the tension and stress it produces in most people is still increasing.
The sensation of enclosure for minutes or long hours, coupled with restriction of movement, limited light and congested lavatories inside the aircraft, creates in the passenger a fatigue that can only be relieved when leaving the aircraft and finally walking freely again.
When studying the program of the competition for the Guadalajara Airport Expansion we saw the opportunity to provide a solution to this constant and contemporary problem of experience In addition to its strategic location in the center of Mexico, Guadalajara is undoubtedly a hub for national and international travel. In addition to being an attractive city for tourism, it has the third-largest economy and industrial infrastructure in Mexico.
Guadalajara’s climate is warm and temperate, offering a pleasant opportunity for outdoor living year-round.
After examining recent trends in airport architecture, we identified a common denominator: the potential for this project typology to express unique aspects of the place where they are built.
Today, airports offer the opportunity to become new urban landmarks, meeting places, and, in some cases, destinations. After studying several ways to accommodate the proposed program, we decided to distribute the uses (hotel, offices, cultural center, and retail) around a central courtyard, outdoor and open to the sky, to give users a preview of Guadalajara’s beautiful climate and flora. With the taller buildings positioned on the edges, the courtyard is shielded from external noise, while on the higher levels, views of airport activities and the surrounding landscapes ground the project into the local context.
