Lower Manhattan Airport park

The proximity of air traffic

 

Due to the predicted growth of world population, metropolis of 20175 makes as much use of their ground space as they can.  As Density increases, verticality becomes a necessity. Therefore, our proposition investigates the opportunities and constraints of an airport that fits into such an urban configuration. The main intention is then to introduce the air traffic in the deep heart of cities. Rethink the airport as a vertical entity means working with specific types of airplanes as they need to be able to land slowly and precisely, without pollution or sound nuisances. In 2075 airplanes technology avoid this kind of issues and allow for the high density airport to take place into metropolises. Also, the tower morphology offers a great situation for rocket launching in its upper levels, as Mars has become a common destination. The fact that such an airport still needs space for the planes to shift implicates an intricate relationship with its surrounding. Context integration is thus intrinsic to the vertical airport design as it needs an open space as a ground level like parks, rivers or even public spaces. The ground level, released from airplanes and with a high transit flow of pedestrians, becomes a social space, extremely valuable in a densified city. The project aims to make commonplace of air travel as proximity transforms access time to be equivalent to train travel’s. Urban integration also offers the advantage of intermodality as the airport can be simultaneously accessed by train, subway, ferry or foot. In line with the access time topic, verticality brings to airports a faster way of reaching landing gates by the use of elevator systems. This elevator system can also be used in relation with artificial intelligence to handle security and check in. In our configuration, the airport has a triangular plan approach. It resumes what’s said above by orienting one side, covered with a specific elevator system, to face the city while creating a public space and two others with a dynamic facade developing the aerial access by using the river space for motion. The boarding facade works with an alternation of opening that allow airplanes to land with enough space not to shock. This system is unified by a paneled envelope able to open itself when planes approach, still according to a vertical motion. The dynamic facade, combined with the up and down motion of the elevators, gives a tree sap effect to the building reminiscent to the flows it carries. The visual impact of the airport is important to preserve the spectacular aspect of air travel. Likewise, airplane’s departures are scenes full of meaning, and we intend to preserve that as each boarding level will offer a panoramic view to the city and the moving aircrafts. As a matter of fact, top levels will be left free to welcome visitors, enjoying the show of the rocket take-off.

​

According to its configuration, the overall circulations of the airports works vertically. Travelers are thus invited to take elevators to access the different boarding platforms. These elevators enable to limit traveler’s displacements into the airport to the maximum unlike contemporary ones where terminals can be located several hundreds of meters away. Moreover, the elevators plays guiding role as they lift the passengers straight to the right boarding gate, ensuring security check-up during the ascent. In order to maximize the efficacy of such a system and avoid important waiting times to take the elevators, those works in a circular way. Thereby lifts that allow motion on three axises and along four rails can see their number multiplied by three. There are then six elevators by modulus witch are divided into four position, rise, fall and parking for the two others.

​

Collaborateur : Nestor Beguin