Foster + Partners tops Cambodian airport with latticed canopy
British studio Foster + Partners has completed the Techo International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which features a curved steel structure wrapped by latticed panels that filter daylight.
Situated south of the Cambodian capital, the airport is designed by Foster + Partners to respond to the country's tropical climate and reflect the local culture and architecture.
Techo International Airport comprises a main terminal building with a curved pier extending from its northern end. A southern pier is expected to open at the airport in 2030.
The building features a steel structural grid with columns that expand into a modular vaulted roof, intended to evoke palaces and temples in Cambodia.
The roof canopy spans the terminal's security, passenger processing and retail spaces, and extends beyond the glazed facades to shade passenger drop-off areas outside.
Drawing upon traditional basket weaving, Foster + Partners designed its latticed surfaces to stretch over the curved steel structure, filtering daylight from skylights into the terminal.
At night, warm-toned lighting behind the lattices is intended to create a calming atmosphere.
"The modular lightweight shell structure and layered soffit filters daylight into the building, allowing people to experience the evolving qualities of the external environment throughout the day," said Foster + Partners senior partner Nikolai Malsch.
"Our design blends technological innovation with references to Cambodia's built heritage," he continued. "Interior materials are warm and welcoming to ensure the highest level of passenger comfort, while reinforcing the country's unique identity."
Foster + Partners' layout for Techo International Airport prioritises short walking distances and quick orientation, ensuring easy navigation for passengers.
Trees and flowers native to Cambodia have been added to the airport interior, as well as 200 hand-crafted sculptures, including a central bronze-cast Buddha.
"Techo International Airport is a celebration of Cambodian culture and light, forming a new gateway to the country," said Foster + Partners head of studio Stefan Behling.
"It is also one of the most sustainable airports in the region, filled with natural daylight and incredible local greenery, and offering strong visual connections to the outside."
"The terminal holistically transforms the experience of travel for the people of Cambodia and the millions of visitors who will travel through here every year," Behling added.
The airport forms part of a wider masterplan by Foster + Partners, which will include a high-speed railway station and a public park nearby.
Elsewhere, the studio is currently designing a tapered stone airport terminal in Saudi Arabia's Aseer Province, as well as the six-runway King Salman International Airport in Riyadh.
The video is by Nikolai Malsch and the photography is by Nigel Young, unless stated otherwise.
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