2 Jun, 2018 06:07

Mapping Russia's new airport construction: From Crimea Wave to Platov International (PHOTOS)

Since 2010, Russia has seen a major boost in infrastructure as the country hosted the Sochi Winter Olympics, Formula 1, the APEC Summit and prepares to welcome the World Cup. As a result, a number of cities got brand new airports.

However, not only the cities that hosted major events like Sochi and Vladivostok benefited. Over the last decade, new airports opened their gates in Russian cities of Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, Rostov-on-Don, and Ekaterinburg. RT takes a look inside Russia's brand new air hubs.

The terminal in Crimea's Simferopol

'Crimea Wave', the new terminal of the Simferopol International Airport, was opened in April. The facility is located 6 kilometers from the old airport it replaces.

The new terminal was built in 22 months and covers an area of 78,000 square meters. The hub can handle 3,650 passengers per hour or 6.5 million per year. The annual passenger flow is expected to gradually increase to 10 million people.

The complex was designed by South Korean company Samoo Architects & Engineers. To create a wave-like silhouette of the new air terminal, specialists assembled more than 5,000 tons of metal assembly blocks. The interior design was created by Moscow-based architect bureau UNK project.

New terminal at Perm International Airport

The international airport located in the city of Perm in the Russian Urals got a brand new terminal at the end of last year. Bolshoe Savino, which received the same name as an old airport, is equipped with five loading bridges.

The giltwood colored construction was designed by the Asadov Architectural bureau. The building's silhouette resembles a floating wing. The interior of the complex was designed by an architect bureau UNK project.

Its total floor area is 30,000 square meters, and the new terminal can handle 900 passengers per hour, compared to 400 in the old terminal. The airport expects its annual passenger traffic to reach 2 million in 2020 and 3.85 million by 2030.

Platov International Airport

Platov airport in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, was opened last December as part of the preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, as the city will be hosting games.

The terminal, designed by the London-based bureau Twelve Architects, is expected to welcome up to five million passengers each year. The airport's defining feature is its striking roof, formed in a series of arches.

With an area of more than 50,000 square meters, Platov was built far outside the city. The complex is designed to handle up to five million passengers a year with capacity of 1790 passengers an hour.

Koltsovo Airport

The international airport Koltsovo, serving the Urals capital of Ekaterinburg and several other cities of the region, is located 16 kilometers southeast of the city. The modern terminal was built as early as in the mid-2000s, and restyled several years ago.

The interior design of the new terminal was created by the Moscow-based architecture firm Nefa Architects. The walls of the other oval area have a crystalline structure with color accentuated entrances - made of perforated aluminum, colored and white glass.

The airport tops the country's 10 busiest airports and is reportedly the largest regional airport in Russia. The annual volume of passenger traffic exceeds five million people.

Kurumoch International Airport

A brand new terminal was built at the 60-year-old airport in Russia's Samara in early 2015. It exceeds 42,000 square meters with an estimated capacity of more than 3.5 million people a year.

The new complex features the space-styled interior, designed by Nefa Architects. The entire building is covered by a wing-like aluminum construction. The architecture and design of the new terminal reflect the space-related status of the city where space launch vehicles are constructed.

The airport, which is one of the ten leading airports in Russia, is the largest in the Volga region. In 2015, Kurumoch was granted a a prestigious international 'Best Office Award' in the category of Design Idea.

New Strigino International Airport complex

Nizhny Novgorod airport, opened in 1923, is one of Russia's oldest airports. In 2016, the old complex received a new terminal that has significantly extended the airport's capacity.

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The design was jointly created by the London-based HTAL Architects & Designers and Russian Nefa Architects. The asymmetrical roof, which is open on the right side of the building, is floating as a free edge.

The total area of the Strigino airport is about 30,000 square meters. Its annual capacity tops 1.5 million people. The airport serves over three million residents in the Nizhny Novgorod region of central Russia.