In Bishoftu, about 40-45 kilometers from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is already moving earth for a project that aims high in every sense. Ethiopian Group has officially broken ground on a new airport which Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali says will be “the largest aviation infrastructure project in African history” when completed. But size is not the only message: Zaha Hadid Architects proposes a gigantic terminal with the approximate shape of an X, a visual signature that also responds to a functional idea, making the passenger’s journey more intuitive within a complex designed to grow in phases.
Ambition is no longer counted only in renders. The difference here is that this is no longer an idea: the works have begun and the plan arrives with a budget, deadlines and a defined operational design. Reuters places the project at $12.5 billion and confirms that Ethiopian has officially started construction, with the idea of completing it in 2030. The group behind the state airline is not only promoting the work: it will also be in charge of the design of a planned complex with four runways, a detail that anticipates the operational scale it seeks to achieve.
When the form is also logistics. As we say, the X terminal works as an aesthetic statement, yes, but the architecture studio insists that it is also a circulation decision. The firm explains that the docks are connected to a central axis that runs through the building and that this organization aims to reduce transfer distances, something key in an airport that aspires to manage large volumes of passengers. This is inspired by the Great Rift Valley and each pier will have its own identity in materials and color palette to reflect the diversity of the country.
The key figures. Reuters reports that the airport is designed with capacity for 110 million passengers per year and space to park 270 airplanes, a leap that multiplies by more than four the capacity of the country’s current main airport. In a first phase scheduled for 2030, there will be a 660,000 square meter terminal and two runways, designed to serve 60 million passengers per year.
An airport on the limit. This plan is not only born from an ambition for image or regional leadership, but also from an operational need. It turns out that the country’s main airport will reach its limits with current traffic in the next two or three years. This information explains why Ethiopia is not talking about tweaks or expansions, but rather about building a new airport hub relatively close to the capital. For Ethiopian Airlines, considered the largest African operator, the equation is as simple as it is forceful: without physical capacity, there is no way to sustain the business.
Architecture designed for the climate. Zaha Hadid Architects maintains that the project aims for LEED Gold certification and that part of the strategy involves passive resources: natural ventilation, shading and semi-open spaces that take advantage of the climatic conditions of the area. Added to this is a package of more industrial measures, from solar panels to produce energy on the premises itself to water management designed for an infrastructure of this size.
Terrestrial connectivity. The project includes linking the new airport with Addis Ababa and Bole airport through a high-speed line, a key element if the infrastructure wants to operate as an integrated system and not as an isolated piece. We are looking at a design that has been designed for a high volume of connections, with the expectation that 80% of travelers will be in transit without leaving the airport. That is why specific services are contemplated for long stopovers, from a hotel in the air zone to restaurant offerings and outdoor spaces with local vegetation.
Images | Zaha Hadid Architects
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