Design a new international airport for the UN World Heritage City of Cartagena that complies with all the functional requirements of a state-of-the-art transportation hub while connecting with both the cities’ legendary colonial architecture and the rich ecological bio-diversity of the region.

RTF Sustainability Awards 2017
Second Award | Category: Transportation (Concept)

©CAZA

Cartagena de Indias is a city defined by the wondrous physical coupling of Nature and History. We have imagined an airport that fosters links with both elements.

©CAZA

The airport welcomes the surrounding landscape through a series of interior gardens featuring local vegetation that in turn connect to a system of bio-swales which help reduce the overall site temperature and mitigate flooding risk. The courtyards add a touch of nature to all the main functions of the airport while acting as anchors of commercial activity, making for a desirable environment to shop, dine and relax. The architecture of the new Cartagena airport pays homage to the legendary walled city by reinterpreting the classical arches as an iconic gateway framing the arrival and departure experience.