SYDNEY, Oct 29 (NNN-AAP) – With major earthworks set to begin next year, the first look at Australia’s Western Sydney International Airport was revealed today (Tuesday).
Expected to cost around 3.6 billion U.S. dollars, the groundbreaking design, by London’s Zaha Hadid Architects and Australia’s Cox Architecture firm, was chosen out of 40 entrants for its stylish tribute to the country’s natural landscape.
Featuring vertical gardens, a public plaza, vast amounts of natural light and timber ceilings, Western Sydney Airport chief executive, Graham Millett, said, the architects had upended the typical airport experience by making the site as calming as possible.
“A lot of people like to get through airports as quickly as they can because their blood pressure rises, they get agitated,” he told reporters in Sydney.
“The architects have taken a very different view with this terminal building … We want something that’s calming for people, that they want to visit.”
Described by Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison as “a once-in-a-generation infrastructure project,” the passenger terminal will service around 80 million travellers per year, over the decades to come.
“This is set to be the largest gateway to Australia, and these designs are another step to making it a reality,” Morrison said.
The Western Sydney International Airport, which is officially named the Nancy-Bird Walton Airport, after the first Australian woman to gain a commercial pilot’s licence, is expected to open sometime in 2026.– NNN-AAP