HIGH
The new terminal at Azerbaijan’s Heydar Aliyev International Airport opened in
September 2014 in the country’s capital of Baku. The landmark terminal features
interior architecture and experiential design by the globally acclaimed, Istanbulbased, Autoban studio.
B
earing all the hallmarks of the multidisciplinary studio’s experimental, genre-defying
approach, the contemporary interiors overturn the traditional airport conventions of
cavernous space and impersonal experience.
Commenting on the project, Seyhan Özdemir, Co-founder of Autoban said: “Aviation has
always been a field that we felt very attached to. It started with us designing the head office
for Turkish Do&Co - the company that operates gourmet meals for airlines in Turkey. Then
came the interiors of the Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul. That
project was named among the 10 best airport lounges in the world. And now we have
designed a complete airport. This is our largest commercial public project to date, and it
gave us the opportunity to apply our expertise in hospitality on a much larger scale and to a wider audience.”
Azerbaijan Airlines initially approached Autoban in June 2012. According to Özdemir, the initial brief
included all of the interior architecture of the terminal, which covers all sections and areas that are used by
passengers. The design needed to reflect Azerbaijani culture, values, and its people, and so it was always
going to be a human-focused environment, putting their needs first. The client wanted a space that evoked a
feeling of warm hospitality and a contemporary presentation of traditional design touch points extended to a
whole airport terminal.
“As a result of globalization, our travelling habits are changing rapidly and airports are fast becoming
destinations of their own within the tourism industry. They are the welcoming faces of the countries, where
you get the first impression about its culture. Keeping this fact in mind, the new Heydar Aliyev International
Airport terminal was designed as a forward-thinking, modern building that fits the new face of the modern
city of Baku,” said Özdemir.
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africandesignmagazine.com