Barcelona Airport Terminal

The 1992 Olympic Games had made the upgrading and expansion of this terminal necessary to create a new gateway for visitors and athletes. The prefabrication of the terminal building, comprising a double-skin facade and a massive concrete structure, made the work simple and efficient. The Ramblas, a one-kilometre internal concourse linking the terminals, also offers the viewer a view of passing aircraft. Since closing the airport was out of the question, the airport’s modular architecture made phased renovation possible.

Nearly two decades later the airport was expanded with a new terminal, Terminal 1, which has been one of the most important civil-engineering projects in Europe in recent years. The monolithic structure, built of polished white granite, lets light pass through the glass walls and roof. The slightly arched ceramic-clad ceilings give its vast space, a combination of straight and curved forms, a futuristic air.