The airport, named after the ataman of the Don Cossack army, was built for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in an "open field", 30 km from Rostov-on-Don. The project is unique in many ways: starting with the fact that this is the first airport in the modern history of Russia, not reconstructed, but built from scratch, ending with the fact that project managers from a foreign bureau have lived at the construction site for almost two years, overseeing the proper execution of work. Today Platov is capable of receiving up to five million passengers a year, its architectural solutions allow it to expand, and its striking image and further development of infrastructure endow it with the potential to turn into a multifunctional airport.
The competition for the project was announced in 2013, before that Lufthansa helped to choose a suitable site, taking into account the wind rose and the prospective construction of a second runway. At the first stage, 27 bureaus participated, then 11 projects were selected, in the end, the proposal of Twelve Architects & Masterplanners won. Project manager Alex Bitus says that in a way, audacity helped to win: according to the terms of reference, the roof had to be flat, which reduced the whole struggle to a competition for the best facade. The bureau decided to bypass this condition, substantiated the approach, and calculated that there would be no rise in price. As a result, it turned out that the rest of the participants followed the set task, and the Twelve Architects project stood out against their background.
The architects considered the future airport as a "bridge to the sky" connecting cities and countries. From this idea, parabolic arches on the roof were born, three of which rise and protrude into the square in front of the terminal, denoting the main entrances and areas: arrivals, international and domestic departures. The arches turned out to be a capacious way, it is not surprising that later other interpretations appeared: the residents in them rather see the waves of the Don or the steppe hills.
The main body of the airport is a simple rectangle with a gallery and landing "arms" along the airfield. It is the curved roof made of rolled aluminum that gives it complexity and dynamics. Approximately in the middle of the building, where the middle arch extends to the square, the entire length of the roof is "cut" by a skylight eight meters wide. It not only fills the room with daylight, but also serves as a navigation element, since it divides the terminal into halls for international and domestic flights. Two deluxe rooms overlook the "blank" side facades, one more is located in the center of the hall.
Inside the terminal, the architects wanted to create a cozy and relaxed atmosphere, as travel is stressful for many people. The task, as it turned out, is not an easy one, given that only non-combustible materials can be used, the choice of which is very limited. The desired result was achieved with the help of warm colors, tubs with plants and details referring to the local color. For tenants, pavilion houses were designed, reminiscent of "Cossack huts". Their green roof is real: living nolins are supported by an automatic irrigation system integrated into the houses.
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zooming 1/8 Platov Airport, Rostov-on-Don © Twelve Architects
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zooming 2/8 Platov Airport, Rostov-on-Don © Twelve Architects
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zooming 3/8 Platov Airport, Rostov-on-Don © Twelve Architects
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zooming 4/8 Platov Airport, Rostov-on-Don © Twelve Architects
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zooming 5/8 Platov Airport, Rostov-on-Don © Twelve Architects
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zooming 6/8 Platov Airport, Rostov-on-Don © Twelve Architects
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zooming 7/8 Platov Airport, Rostov-on-Don © VOX Architects
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zooming 8/8 Platov Airport, Rostov-on-Don © VOX Architects
The landscape design, including the cascading ponds in which the airport building is effectively reflected, was also developed by Twelve Architects. And the paving and tree planting scheme was adopted from the landscaping concept, which was prepared by the Wowhaus bureau.
The airport building is inscribed in an orthogonal grid with cells measuring 16x16 m, structurally and technologically it is designed so that it is possible to expand not only the "box" -processor, but also the galleries to the right and left, increasing the number of contact parking areas for aircraft.
Alex Bitus stresses: “Expansion is certainly possible, but in terms of today's aviation technology. What it will be like in 20-30 years, we do not know for sure. The technology of air transportation is changing very quickly, new equipment, requirements, opportunities appear. Everything can change dramatically. In this regard, a good example is the Pulkovo-1 building, the reconstruction project of which we made last year. This construction will soon be 50 years old, for a building the period is very short, but we see a gigantic abyss in terms of passenger transportation technology then and now. It is practically impossible to expand this building, and the technological processes were completely removed from it due to the incompatibility of planning solutions and technology requirements, leaving only the boarding of passengers and business lounges."
Great Britain shows the same experience: after reconstruction from the airports built in the 90s of the last century, only columns, facades and roofs remain. The architect believes that "in an amicable way, the terminal building should be a hangar with the possibility of changing the filling, this is required by the constantly improving technology."
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zooming 1/5 General plan. Platov Airport Courtesy of Twelve Architects
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zooming 2/5 Passenger terminal at elev. Platov Airport Courtesy of Twelve Architects
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zooming 3/5 Passenger terminal at elev. Platov Airport Courtesy of Twelve Architects
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zooming 4/5 Passenger terminal at elev. Platov Airport Courtesy of Twelve Architects
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zooming 5/5 Passenger terminal at elev. Platov Airport Courtesy of Twelve Architects
"Platov" is designed for a passenger traffic of five million people a year, but so far it is not working at full capacity: the full development of the airport and, as a result, its infrastructure, is hindered by the closed air zone over Donbass. “Flying this route increases costs for European companies, and as a result, air carriers do not see this direction as commercially attractive,” explains Alex Bitus.
The hotel and regular service in the form of a railway or monorail should appear when the airport's loading reaches the planned levels, and the flights become filled and regular. Alex Bitus is sure that over time this will inevitably happen, and logistics centers will appear around the airport.
