Located in the South of France, Marseille Airport is being extended so that it can handle up to 12 million passengers per year.

The primary gateway to France’s Provencal region, Marseille Airport (AMP)has made a significant investment in restructuring its terminal and facilities and appointed renowned architectural firm, Foster + Partners, to lead the design of the new extension.

Design trio
WSP, alongside Tangram Architects have been selected to join the Foster + Partners team in delivering the project. Didier Moulart, WSP’s Lyon office business development manager described the partnership as “a real success story for our business”.

It started over five years ago when we discovered that Marseille Airport would be making a significant investment in the next few years. We already had rich experience in the aviation sector through the work on Lyon airport, one of our long-term projects.

Explaining the decision behind appointing the consortium to work on Marseille Airport’s new building, Pierre Regis, chairman of the management board for the client, AMP said:

“We chose the Foster + Partners consortium for two main reasons. First, because you have designed a high-quality project which meets all our expectations and our brief; and secondly, because we feel a good spirit of collaboration in your team, with strong capability and capacity.”

Linking old and new
Linking two existing terminal buildings with a new hall named the ‘coeur’ or ‘heart’, will simplify passenger flow and provide “a more welcoming gateway to the region,” according to Grant Brooker, Foster + Partners’ head of studio.

What’s more arrivals and departures will be combined within one space, which will allow the centralisation of numerous operations within the airport, such as security management.

The new building will feature a 22m-high glazed hall, with a continuous grid of glass skylights clad with stainless steel to act as giant lanterns, bringing natural light and air into the building. Meanwhile large indoor trees will create a calming, green environment.

“The new terminal features a panoramic terrace overlooking the airport and the landscape beyond, and is entirely top lit, capturing the bright Provencal sunlight and paying homage to the bold architectural spirit of Pouillon’s original building,” continued Brooker.

Due to open in 2023, the ‘Coeur’ is the first phase of the project, then the second phase –a 13,500m2 jetty which will provide new stands for aircraft – will open in 2027.

WSP has been tasked with designing both the new terminal and pier, as well as taxiways and aircraft stands with support from UK-based specialists in airfield design. One of the biggest challenges in delivering the project, according to WSP, is that the airport will remain operational throughout the construction phase. But Moulart concludes “It is one of the most important projects in Marseille, and an example of how we are growing our business in this beautiful region of Provence.”

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