Left: Design rendering of Istanbul New Airport
Global architecture and design firm Perkins+Will has been selected to create the masterplan for a major mixed-use urban development project alongside Istanbul New Airport in Turkey, which is currently under construction.
Coined as an ‘airport city’, the 1,700-acre (2.66 square mile) development will include a central innovation district, hotels, retail offerings, office space, logistics centers, a convention center, public spaces, and metro and high-speed rail connections to Istanbul and beyond.
David Green, EMEA urban design lead at Perkins+Will, said, “The opportunity to lay the groundwork for a development of this magnitude is both a tremendous honor and responsibility. Istanbul’s new airport will serve millions of passengers, but its airport city will be key to capturing that vitality. Beyond simply supporting aviation, our plan will create a framework for a truly unique center of economic, cultural and social life.
“An airport city is a development model that organizes buildings, infrastructure, and transportation networks around an airport core, with the airport serving as primary economic driver for the surrounding area. The airport city beside Istanbul’s New Airport, which will be one of largest sites of its kind in the world, will also serve as the seed for future development along the Black Sea.”
Drawing from its worldwide urban planning experience, Perkins+Will’s masterplan will incorporate sustainability strategies to enhance building performance, comfort and livability, all contributing to the resilience and economic viability of the development. It will draw on Turkish history, culture and tradition, to create an inviting sense of place in the public realm.
Cem Cakaralir, deputy general manager of IGA Havalimani Isletmesi, the airport operator, said, “This is an unprecedented opportunity to launch the Istanbul New Airport as a global crossroads into Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It is an important investment for the future of Turkey.”
Perkins+Will will deliver the masterplan to IGA in four months’ time, setting the entire development on a fast track toward construction work beginning in 2016.
For more information about the Istanbul New Airport project click here.