ST. PETERSBURG — Designers from British firm Grimshaw Architects last week presented their vision of the new Pulkovo Airport terminal to His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, Duke of York.
The presentation was the final event of the Duke of York’s three-day visit to the city that aimed to facilitate the development of trade and economic cooperation between Britain and Russia and to support British companies in the region.
Grimshaw Architects was chosen in 2007 to design the new 450 million euro ($550 million) terminal, which will see its official groundbreaking ceremony on June 26. Despite the test of patience and resilience the terminal has since proven to be, the British architects appeared inspired and enthusiastic at the presentation at Pulkovo I.
“The major disappointment with airports is that they all tend to look the same, so we sought to reflect the unique face of St. Petersburg,” said Mark Middleton, a partner at Grimshaw Architects.
Both the interior and exterior of the new terminal contain references to some of St. Petersburg’s signature features: its islands, bridges and the golden domes of the city’s Orthodox churches.
The terminal’s internal spaces will be connected by individual walkways designed to resemble a journey around St. Petersburg’s bridges and canals as passengers move between customs, security checks and other areas.
The new Pulkovo terminal is due to start operating in 2013. When it opens, the terminal is expected to process about 14 million passengers per year. According to traffic forecasts, Pulkovo Airport is likely to process more than 17.3 million passengers by 2025 and has the potential to reach 40 million passengers by 2039.
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