AWARDS : DISTINCTION in the "future NOW" category in "TUBADZIN DESIGN AWARDS 2020" first cycle.

AWARDS : "SPECIAL GROHE PRIZE" winner in TDA 2020 future NOW category.

CULTURE - A future HUMAN HUB

Culture is the amalgamation of the collective psyche of a large group of people sharing a common identity. Since the dawn of Indus valley civilization, Indian culture comprised a sense of unity, interaction, and well-being. Since then, many ethnic groups have come into the sub-continent with their distinct way of living and has been integrated into the whole Indian culture with individual identity and manifesting that the only thing constant is change.

The airport envisions a future “NOW” where human civilization is a multi-planetary species. It has colonies on Mars and Moon and also sub-colonies in the form of space stations. The scale of traveling has changed drastically and countries are closer to each other than ever. India is on the avant-garde of technology, innovation and embraces its age-old culture of “Atithi Devo bhava” meaning “guests are like God”.

Delhi being the capital of India propagates this ethos more significantly than ever. The design concept revolves around human interaction and fraternity. IN contrast to designing according to mechanical efficiency, it centers the human capacity of growth and social unity and thus enhancing the programmatic function of an airport junction. Rather than just being a transportation hub, it becomes a human hub where people come to meet, greet, love, cry, know, wonder, feels. It does not alienate its visitors by its massive scale, rather welcomes them into its warm embrace through the spatial relationship between nature, light, function, and interaction.

The built form is a collection of individual forms stitched through a collective program. The forms consolidate the functions vertically and make room for vast social spaces where everyone can join in the collective narrative. The VTOL aircrafts used for fast passenger and freight transport nulls the need for long runways and thus opens up vast urban spaces for sustainable and resilient growth. High-speed Hyperloop transport system integrated into the hub for international and domestic travel. The spatial organization of the forms creates pockets of multipurpose spaces and ensures the use of the spaces stay relevant with time. The modular approach to design and integrated solar and wind power gain strategies facilitates sustainable growth in the future.

This airport is a gateway to the unknown and mysterious vastness of space. Its goal is to keep reminding us is what actually makes us human so that we don’t get lost in our constant search for the unknown.