Innovative and original biophilic design for the interior of Bangalore International Airport by Enter Projects Asia.

Bial commissioned Enter Projects Asia to design 12,000sqm of retail, hospitality and lounge space in the Departures Area of Bangalore’s Kempegowda International Airport as part of the modernisation of its hinterland. Inspired by the 20th century garden city movement on which the city of Bangalore is based, Bial wanted to re-imagine a future where the best of the city and the countryside could co-exist to create a utopian present for the airport’s 20 million annual visitors.

Patrick Keane and his team at Enter Projects Asia (EPA) realised that there was another way to achieve the functions of enclosure, shelter, segregation, privacy and conventional building requirements using a kinder, more nature-based set of materials. After studying the great airports of recent decades, Keane set himself the challenge of creating a next-generation design as the antithesis of the often beautiful, but overly utilitarian and corporate and ultimately unfriendly spaces that prioritise unsustainable panel-based materials.

By taking plant materials such as cane, rattan and bamboo out of context, away from the wellness spaces of Southeast Asian boutiques, and using them in such an overtly urban and commercial environment, and on such a large scale, Keane wanted to make a bold statement about the possibility and necessity of tactility, sustainability and biophilic design for the future.

Enter Projects Asia developed its signature design language and harnessed its unique artisanal approach to create a series of curvilinear, sculptural rattan capsules on a scale exponentially larger than previously imagined. The largest of the modules is almost 8m high and the project used over 9km of rattan to replace mineral materials such as concrete and steel. The design itself incorporates 5 colossal module structures together with huge column claddings, all made of rattan. The largest of the modules, which houses a Wolfgang Puck restaurant, has 750 m2 of interior space, a huge internal staircase, a small gazebo and its own garden. The rest is occupied by other world-famous brands.

Enter Projects Asia works with traditional Thai artisans, providing work for these artisan communities. Each section of the huge design was hand-woven in EPA’s Bangkok factory, using the company’s in-house logistics software, for the most efficient, cost-effective and sustainable transport solutions.

This fusion of innovative high-tech software and handmade craftsmanship, together with the prioritisation of natural materials, defines Enter Projects Asia’s award-winning approach to innovation and sustainability.

The design details play with the density of the rattan weave, which while concealing the interiors, dramatically transforms into a very open style that adds a sense of growth and dynamism in which the design itself feels organic.

The lighting design enhances this effect and adds to the experiential and biophilic nature of the space. The priority is to enhance the natural warmth of the materials. The 700-year-old olive trees, hanging gardens and vines contribute to the garden city concept.

Enter Projects Asia’ s innovative design has succeeded in being an alternative to the iconic corporate super airports of the past and serves as a new model for the use of the principles and materials associated with wellness design on an industrial scale. “If you think of rattan structures, bamboo lattice, handmade elements, wood, you think: ‘Oh, wellness retreat, somewhere remote‘. Well now you see it in an airport that gets 20 million visitors a year, what the hell, wellness has gone mainstream. EPA is redefining these materials and their applications“. comments Patrick Keane, Director of EPA.

Project: Kempegowda International Airport, Terminal 2 Salidas.
Interior Architecture: Enter Projects Asia.
External structure: SOM
Construction and Installation: Project Rattan.
Location: Bangalore. 
Tailandia
Customer: BIAL – Bangalore Airport International Ltd

Surface: 12.000 m2
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Photography: Hufton + Crow.
Completion Phase 1: Mayo 2024.

Enter Projects Asia

Enter Projects Asia was created as a rebellion against modern methods of design and construction, which have led to a loss of detail in architectural design and a preference for unsustainable materials. In response, they have built their practice with a desire to showcase handcrafted, sustainable and original architecture on a commercial scale.

Aesthetically, they are inspired by natural geometry and movement, eschewing the angular lines dictated by mass-produced building materials in favour of curvilinear, sculptural forms. Biophilic design principles guide their decision-making in service of the goal of creating a point of difference, a talking point, a character and a feeling that all users embrace.

They take the time to understand their clients’ aspirations and brand personality, and design with the end user in mind. They analyse each individual space to understand its characteristics and the impact and progression of natural light, and carefully design smooth and intuitive directional movement flows to ensure spaces that are easy and enjoyable to move through.

Enter Projects Asia has grown tenfold in the last 5 years, despite difficult global circumstances. Their work is contemporary and connects with people. Their designs are contemporary, respectful of the past and mindful of the future and the generations that will inhabit them. Enter Projects Asia is a Thai registered company operating from Bangkok, with a growing and varied portfolio of clients in Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe and the United States.

Source: Enter Projects Asia.

Project by Enter Projects Asia