Zaha Hadid Architects unveils design for geometric Vilnius Airport terminal in Lithuania

Architecture studio Zaha Hadid Architects has designed a pleated timber-lined roof informed by Lithuanian cultural heritage for an arrivals terminal at Vilnius Airport.

Flanked by two existing terminals, Zaha Hadid Architects' design aims to facilitate the airport's increasing passenger numbers, support economic growth in Lithuania, and serve as a key point of travel in the Baltic region.

Zaha Hadid Architects aimed to combine traditional Lithuanian motifs with contemporary forms in its design for Vilnius Airport, which will form part of a wider transport masterplan that includes high-speed and local rail services, buses, taxis, cycle and pedestrian routes.

The studio based the design on rhombus and triangular geometry, which it claims has significant meaning in Baltic folklore.

"The result is an architectural language that is both innovative and rooted in local heritage," said Zaha Hadid Architects director Ludovico Lombardi.

"Looking to the future, the terminal's design offers a seamless passenger experience directly connected with the city's transport network."

Renders show full-height glazing wrapping large swathes of the terminal facades, broken up by metallic triangular elements.

A pleated roof will top the building, with triangular and rhombus-shaped skylights illuminating the interior.

Informed by sodai straw gardens, a traditional Lithuanian art form where grain stalks are made into hanging ornaments, the interior of the geometric roof will be lined with local timber.

"Evoking the experience of being immersed within traditional sodai, the terminal's pleated roof finished in timber from local forests defines the interiors and reflects the art form's delicate, interconnected geometries," said Zaha Hadid Architects.

The terminal will feature solar panels on the roof, rainwater harvesting, stormwater management and a wastewater recycling system.

Zaha Hadid Architects designed the terminal in collaboration with development consultancy Tyréns Group, which contributed to the structural engineering and traffic solutions in the masterplan.

Other airports designed by Zaha Hadid Architects include Western Sydney International Airport, which features a wavy timber ceiling, and the starfish-shaped Beijing Daxing International Airport.

The images are by Negativ.

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