Terminal 2 at Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru

‘Calm’ and ‘tranquil’ are two words that you’ll rarely hear associated with airport travel. For both frequent and occasional flyer’s, navigating bustling airport environments is a necessary challenge that must be endured in order to reach the next destination — often noisy, chaotic and overwhelming, airports are typically as disconnected from nature as it is possible to be. The Airport’s innovative design offers passengers an immersive and authentic nature focused experience; the unique flora that occupies the new terminal has been sourced from multiple ecological habitats in India, showcasing the beauty of nature and Karnataka’s culture. The goal from day one was to place biodiversity and nature at the heart of a new kind of passenger experience. The strong biophilic design focus that is in abundance throughout the vast terminal creates a truly special environment that captures the spirit of the place, offers a unique garden journey — and points positively towards the passenger experience of the future. Adding to the garden-like environment is the use of natural materials including bamboo cladding and local natural stone. Lush internal and external gardens punctuate the passenger’s journey, with the centerpiece being a breathtaking 10-metre-tall green wall that runs the length and breadth of the terminal adorned with over 450 extraordinary plant species. The planting not only captivates the eye but also contributes to the terminal’s environmental conditioning, all nourished by an automated irrigation system fed by harvested rainwater. With landscape proposals developed around different zones to create specific garden experiences for passengers, a dynamic landscape and retail experience has now been delivered. The sense of being in a garden is heightened by the repeated, purposeful use of water throughout to create a strong landscape identity alongside the planting. Biophilic design principles are central to the strong sense of identity and rich cultural links that Terminal 2 offers to passengers — and are crucial to transforming the traditionally stressful experience of navigating around a bustling airport setting into a calming setting, one filled with incredible species. The airport currently holds 3600 species, including almost 200 endangered species, providing a future framework for what can be achieved when nature sits at the forefront of architectural design planning from the outset, rather than biodiversity being treated as an afterthought. A key element that currently sets Terminal 2 apart is its integrated sustainable water management system of rain water harvesting ponds and swales. This helps mitigate Bengaluru’s changing climate and burdening water demands as well as creates a resilient and biodiverse landscape. The external gardens and forest belt create their own unique microclimate with temperatures two to three degrees lower than its surroundings. The gardens and forest cover assist in cleaning the air, while solar panels and daylight harvesting are estimated to help the terminal achieve around 25% energy savings. Over 7,700 existing trees and palms have been saved and re-used as part of Terminal 2, with the plants selected for use around Terminal 2 being predominantly native, responsive, and resilient to a changing climate.