Farnborough Airport and Hangar
Farnborough, England
Reid Architecture

A new airport departs from the usual prototype

© Andrew Southall

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Avoiding the piecemeal appearance typically associated with airport development, Farnborough integrates three functionally diverse buildings of vastly different scales with coherent details and materials.

The Air Traffic Control tower forms a landmark focus. Seamless, brushed aluminum sheaths the tower and its support building, flaring outward to support the Visual Control Room. An illuminated lift rises behind the side of the tower that faces the terminal.

The largest building, capturing the undulations of surrounding hills, is the 984 x 148-foot hangar. It is constructed in three 305-foot-wide bays, each spanned by an arched structure supporting an aluminum roof that appears to float. The facility received the 2003 Structural Steel Design Award.

Formal name of Project:
Farnborough Airport and Hangar

Location:
Farnborough, England

Architect:
Reid Architecture
www.reidarchitecture.com