The building consists of a main section with waiting rooms, shops and restaurants, and two “piers” for aircraft parking. The new airport is designed to increase passenger traffic, which should increase from the current 3.5 million people a year to 12 million in 2030. At the same time, the architects tried to reduce the cost of maintaining the complex, making it resource-saving through passive technologies.
So, concrete was chosen as the main material, the thermal mass of which will help maintain a comfortable microclimate inside the building in summer, when the difference between night and day temperatures can be very large. Local gravel was used as aggregate, which not only reduced the energy costs of transporting materials, but also gave the building a touch reminiscent of the tones of the Jordanian landscape.
Concrete flat domes-modules on round pillars form the floors of the airport, and sunlight enters the interior through the narrow glazed openings between them. They simultaneously resemble palm leaves and, when viewed from above, black Bedouin tents. The facades are fully glazed for natural light and easier orientation, and horizontal blinds protect them from the heat of the sun. In the interior, greenery helps to purify the air, and ponds, reflecting the light falling from above, help illuminate airport spaces.
The front yard of the airport plays a special role: according to Jordanian traditions, the whole family comes to see and greet travelers, therefore, for the convenience of passengers and their families, this space is greened and shaded with trees, benches are placed there.
N. F.
