The Bávaro International Airport will be more than infrastructure; it will become a symbol of the growth and prosperity that awaits the Altagracia region and the entire Dominican Republic.
The new airport will enhance connectivity to and from the country, drawing travelers from around the globe and promoting local development. Additionally, it will complement the existing airport network and increase overall value.
Based on an efficient, sustainable, and technological infrastructure, the project focuses on clear principles that ensure functionality and operability. Its design aids in passenger orientation, streamlines flows, and minimizes visual impact, integrating seamlessly with the surroundings while maintaining architectural prominence.
Key objectives include creating a continuous and unitary image using shapes, roofing, and materials. The project also optimizes functional distribution, energy efficiency, and low maintenance costs. Moreover, it guarantees constructive feasibility in phases and supports future growth.
Floor Configuration of the Bávaro International Airport
The terminal is organized into several floors, each with specific functions:
- On the access floor, the departures lobby, check-in and remote boarding lounges are located, along with arrivals processes. The arrivals hall includes plans to install advanced check-in stations for passengers’ destination hotels to enhance their experience from the very first minute of their stay in Dominican Republic.
- Next level manages passenger arrivals in contact positions, preventing them from mixing with departing passengers and leading them through a mezzanine to the first floor.
- Second floor houses the departure processes and commercial offerings, featuring terraces that enhance the experience with unique attractions not commonly found in an airport terminal.
- Second and third floors feature VIP lounges for passengers and crew, offering innovative services.
- On the basement floor, a connecting corridor is designed between both sides of the terminal to facilitate the distribution of supplies and waste disposal.
The Roof
At Bávaro International Airport, the roof stands as the main, most distinctive, and recognizable piece. We have chosen to design it in keeping with contemporary architecture. The geometry of the roof is based on elliptical shapes with specific axes, controlled to minimize the interior heights. This approach reduces the volume to be air-conditioned and promotes energy efficiency.
A functional and fast assembly system is used for the structure. Spatial structures are utilized for the general roof, while monolayer structures are employed for the main skylight.
Proposed as a support for this roof is a singular concrete pillar with a unique and recognizable geometry for the project, which also standardizes all the facades, both on the air side and the ground side of the terminal building.
Specific intersection points are sought between the pillar and the ellipses, related to the heights of the floors and doors, which standardize the modulation and the fundamental measures of the Terminal façade.
Architectural Concept of the Bávaro International Airport
Longitudinal section LT
The design of the public spaces on the landside includes a wide access lobby with high clear height. This concourse extends the length of the building, connecting the check-in hall at the east end with the arrivals hall at the west end. In the central part is the main vertical communications core of the terminal, which connects to the second floor. This core facilitates visual contact between the different levels and environments, helping the passenger to understand the terminal.
LT-LA longitudinal section of the Bávaro International Airport
From the main vertical communications core on the second floor, the controls area is presented as a prominent space. This space, marked by the roof and side terraces, articulates the transition from the land side to the air side.
This solution’s simplicity and roundness provide spatial continuity and a sense of spaciousness, making it easier for passengers to interpret the circulations.
Longitudinal section LA
Departures and boarding circulations are resolved through the corridors along the air side façade on the second floor. Arrivals are collected in the mezzanine corridor, which leads to the baggage claim hall.
In conclusion, Bávaro International Airport is an example of how modern architecture can create functional, efficient and culturally integrated spaces, enhancing the passenger experience.
The search for simplicity, clarity and operability in the design ensures that this terminal is an efficient transportation hub and a symbol of progress and modernity for the region.