A team of prestigious architects and engineers, including Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), HOK and Buro Happold, has revealed plans for an ambitious new airport expansion for Zurich, Switzerland. The building will be primarily constructed from sustainably sourced timber and will feature an attractive interior design that’s focused on maximizing natural light and making it easy to get around.

Zurich Airport – Dock A is the winner of an architecture competition and will increase the capacity of the 1950s-era Zurich Airport with a large new building that will consist of seven floors and contain departure gates, retail space, lounges, offices, a new air traffic control tower, and an extension of the existing immigration hall.

The airport terminal will be topped by a large skylight designed to serve as an intuitive navigational aid. In an interesting touch, the control tower will actually be at the building’s center, also offering another visual marker. Engineered wood will be the main construction material, including the load-bearing system of the building, which will consist of chunky V-shaped timber columns, nodding to traditional Swiss pitched roofs. Judging from the renders at least, the interior decor really leans into the natural beauty of the wood and should provide a much more pleasant atmosphere for weary travelers than a glass and steel airport.

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