Bhutan is about to get a new airport. Designed by @BIG_Architects, Gelephu International will serve the country's new Gelephu Mindfulness City and feature a modular diagrid structure made of locally sourced glulam timber, decorated with traditional Bhutanese painted carvings.
The airport's painted façade draws inspiration from the ‘Kachen’ — a wooden pillar revered for its structural significance and intricate design, embodying Bhutanese architectural heritage and spiritual symbolism. The airport will be capable of handling 1.3M passengers a year by 2040 and 5.5M by 2065.
In a statement, Bhutan's King, His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, said: “Our immediate priority over the next five years is the construction of a large international airport in Gelephu, which will establish the GMC as a key aviation hub. This airport is essential for the success of the GMC as a business hub, and it is also a critical lifeline for Bhutan’s national security, especially for a landlocked country.”
Learn more about Bhutan's huge new mindfulness city in our hit YouTube video, that now has over 3.6M views 👉 https://t.co/2isJ9zFQ3X
📷 BIG
This massive $12.5BN new airport is currently under construction in Ethiopia. Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects for Africa's largest carrier Ethiopian Airlines Group, phase one of Bishoftu International is set to serve 60 million passengers a year, with capacity rising to 110 million passengers (through four runways) once all subsequent phases are built.
The airport sits around 40km south of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa and has been primarily designed as a transit hub – it's expected that some 80% of passengers arriving will board connecting flights without leaving the building.
Phase one is targeting a 2030 completion date.
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