Three designs of Long Thanh airport to be submitted

Three designs of Long Thanh airport to be submitted

Three designs of Long Thanh airport to be submitted

Le Anh

The coconut leaf theme design, one of the three most selected options for the terminal of Long Thanh International Airport – PHOTO: LE ANH

HCMC – The three most-selected designs of Long Thanh airport terminal will be submitted to the Government after Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) gathers input from the public and industry associations.

ACV has been consulting the public about the architecture of the airport terminal in many forms: direct comment, the website of the Ministry of Transport, and industry associations such as the Vietnam Association of Architects, the Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association, the General Construction Association of Vietnam, the Vietnam Association on Aviation Science and Technology in Hanoi, Danang, HCMC and Dong Nai.

After a period of consultation, the Vietnam Association of Architects has selected option 4, Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association has gone for option 7, while the General Construction Association of Vietnam and the Vietnam Association of Aviation Science and Technology both have selected option 3.

As for people in the four aforesaid localities, the majority are in favor of option 3. Two other preferred options are 4 and 7.

A source from the Ministry of Transport said the council in charge of the architectural plan for Long Thanh airport terminal at a meeting on February 14 agreed on options 3, 4 and 7.

After the consultation results are out, the transport ministry will report to the Government to decide on the final plan.

ACV will be responsible for a feasibility study report that will be presented before the National Assembly for consideration. It is expected that the project will get off the ground in 2019 and start service in 2023.

The Long Thanh International Airport project is divided into three stages. During Phase 1, a runway and a passenger terminal along with other components will be built, with a capacity of 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo per year, and up and running by 2025.

An additional runway and another passenger terminal will be developed in Phase 2 to raise the airport’s annual capacity to 50 million passengers and 1.5 million tons of cargo.

In the final phase, the remaining components will be completed, and then, the airport will achieve the capacity of 100 million passengers and five million tons of cargo a year.

The total cost of the entire project is estimated at VND336.6 trillion (roughly US$17 billion, based on the exchange rate in 2014). For the first phase, the budget is VND114.45 trillion.

In option 3, the terminal is designed like a lotus flower, dotted with light boxes that break the monotony of the roof. The outdoor parking lot and the rooftop are utilized as a green park with a large lake at the center as a highlight.

Meanwhile, option 4 utilizes bamboo to decorate public spaces such as the departure hall, the service zone, the duty free zone, the lounge and the arrival area. This architectural design gives the terminal a spacious interior, with the use of bamboo expressing the cultural characteristics of Vietnam.

Option 7 is inspired by a coconut leaf, the signature image of Vietnam’s countryside and riverine culture. Inside the departure hall, the counters are designed as boats traveling in the rivers in rural Vietnam.

Three designs of Long Thanh airport to be submitted Related image(s)