Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru — Terminal 2

Bengaluru, India

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Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru — Terminal 2

Bengaluru, India

Firm

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)

Type

Commercial › Retail
Landscape + Planning › Urban Green Space
Transport + Infrastructure › Airport

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2023

SIZE

1,000,000 +

BUDGET

Undisclosed

Inspired by Bengaluru’s reputation as “the garden city,” Terminal 2 (T2) at Kempegowda International Airport radically reimagines the airport experience by connecting passengers to nature along each step of their journey. The 255,000-square-meter terminal offers a sequence of landscaped spaces to create a calming oasis within the bustle of an international airport.
The terminal, both humanist and rooted in nature, establishes a new vision for sustainable growth. Throughout the complex, interior plantings, exterior gardens, and rich natural materials weave the experience of nature into travelers’ journeys. Clad in brick, engineered bamboo, and glass, the complex consists of a set of interconnected buildings tied together by a continuous band of outdoor, landscaped spaces—a “terminal in a garden” that nods to Bengaluru’s reputation as the “garden city.”
The main terminal block, which houses check-in, immigration, security, retail, arrivals, and baggage claim, is separated from Terminal 2’s gates by a multilevel “forest belt,” a 90-meter-wide swath of lushly planted landscape, marked by indigenous flora, meandering paths, and multistory pavilions clad in bamboo. For arriving and departing passengers alike, the network of bridges and outdoor pathways creates an immersive and calming experience, juxtaposing the activity of an international airport. Throughout the terminal, a variety of hanging plantings and skylights complete the space with rich, sensory detail. The finishes emulate the textured local landscape with bamboo materials and custom furnishings clad in locally sourced ivory brown granite, umbered red bricks, and traditionally woven rattan. The garden design reminds travelers of the rich landscape scenery of the verdant city, transforming the traveler experience into a multi-sensory one.
T2 is the largest terminal in the world to be pre-certified as a LEED Platinum building by USGBC. In addition to the verdant landscaping, T2 implements numerous sophisticated sustainable innovations, enabling the terminal to run on renewable energy.