Aerodynamic roof structure
ALA Architects Expand Airport in Helsinki
© Tuomas Uusheimo
At Helsinki Airport, Finnish studio ALA Architects have expanded Terminal 2 by a new arrivals and departures building that is covered by a roof that appears to be as lightweight as it is massive. The new structure has become the new main entrance to the facility and replaces the old terminal, which now serves exclusively as a hub for international connections.
© Tuomas Uusheimo
Altogether, 43 600 m² are spread over two separate volumes: a large, imposing hall receives and distributes arriving and departing travellers.
The new building docks onto the existing edifice via a low structure that stands out thanks to its bold blue colour scheme. It accommodates areas for security control, customs and the baggage claim.
© Tuomas Uusheimo
The arrivals and departures hall is covered by an enormous wooden structure. Although its dynamic shape suggests a certain lightness, the ceiling conceals a massive steel construction that enables a support-free floor plan and juts towards the entrance as a generous canopy. The roof contains not only the supporting structure, but also all the necessary installations for the ventilation system.
© Tuomas Uusheimo
At the centre of the ground floor, a rhombic skylight allows visitors a view of the structure height. The underside of the ceiling is characterized by prefabricated elements of light-coloured spruce. These move together in soft curves reminiscent of contour lines: seen from below, they resemble an immense, three-dimensional map.
© Tuomas Uusheimo
© Tuomas Uusheimo
Directly beneath the opening in the roof, the ceiling slab of the entrance level also features a cut-out through which visitors can look down into the lower level, where arriving passengers move past a planted island with a Japanese flair. The trees and shrubs reach towards the daylight and add a green accent to the airport building.
© Tuomas Uusheimo
In the execution of the new terminal, the architects kept to the time frame – this while the airport was still in operation – and the budget. The project is one of Finland’s first to be distinguished with the Breeam certificate for its sustainability. On the ground at least, the airport compensates a bit for the carbon footprint of the airline industry, which is hardly environmentally friendly.
Architecture: ALA Architects
Client: Finavia
Location: Flughafen Helsinki-Vantaa, 01531 Vantaa (FI)
Structural engineering: Ramboll Finland
Contractor: SRV Construction
Building services engineering: Ramboll Finland
Acoustic engineering: Akukon
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