“We developed an airport that is intimately connected to its surroundings. By subtly incorporating regional patterns and textures at all scales, Terminal 2 resonates with a sense of spot and serves as a spectacular symbol for India and Mumbai.”We’ll forgive the venerable New York architectural firm SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill) for blowing their personal horn. Their recently completed airport terminal in Mumbai is an undeniable jaw-dropper, owing primarily to the series of 30 concrete columns that ‘mushroom’ upward to assistance a perforated concrete ceiling—an homage to the area’s architectural traditions and to India’s national bird, the peacock.
The 4-story Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport will serve 40 million guests annually, all of whom will enter the teeming city of Mumbia by means of SOM’s breathtaking new show of architectural ornamentation. From a country wholly besotted with decoration, we can’t picture a much more fitting welcome.
Images: Dezeen