DESIGNING A NEW VISION OF FUTURE AIRPORTS

Not sci-fi, but real opportunities abound with genuine value-add for passengers

Working on a number of high-profile aviation developments at the moment with two major completions set to be celebrated in the near future, Claude Touikan, Co-Founder & Executive Director at Lead8, emphasized the necessity of fluidity within the sectors of this industry in this day and age.

“Aviation is no longer seen as purely transport, retail is not only about shopping, mixed-use is not just your traditional office-hotel-retail mix,” explained Claude. “It is showing us that our future destinations are truly being curated with our needs and expectations in mind.

“The boundaries between spaces is breaking down and that is now a driving force behind our designs.”

Claude Touikan
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Lead8

Lead8 is a multi-disciplinary design firm working across master-planning, architecture, interior design, branding and graphic design. Their role in the aviation industry is working alongside leading owners, operators and developers to realise the full potential of their airport sites. This includes a range of projects, from designing passenger terminals to the mixed-use, retail and entertainment developments that serve the airport community.

With the new normal, Claude was quick to remind that passenger experience must be front and centre for any airport city or terminal design.

“In APAC, we are fortunate to have industry and world-leading examples in Singapore and Hong Kong, as how to operate and develop the airport travel experience,” noted Claude.

“There is a significant opportunity for commercial and retail designers to work alongside airport owners and operators to bring a new perspective to their developments. This isn’t only in terms of the terminal buildings, but also the developments that are connected within the airport site.

“We are now seeing mini museums, art galleries, and theatres being added to the commercial mix and programming of airport city sites. This is truly exciting as these cultural components will enrich the experience of these large-scale, multi-faceted developments and help in their transformation as thriving mini cities in themselves.”

Of course, Claude underlined that the health and safety of passengers will be paramount moving forward, presenting one of the biggest opportunities within the travel experience.

“With competition only set to increase, extracting commercial potential, and exceeding visitor expectations will define success in a post-COVID environment,” Claude advised.

“The introduction of new technology and seamless travel initiatives is altering the requirements for terminal spaces, opening up new possibilities for how passengers spend their time at airports.

“Essentially, check-in, immigration and security facilities are being rapidly digitised. This is giving more physical space for commercial opportunity as traditional facilities are streamlined. The change also increases the amount of time travellers have at their leisure within airports, and we will see the programming of the airside areas reflect this,” Claude concluded.

The disruptor to the trend is the introduction of COVID and health screenings. This will no doubt be a common sight at airports moving forward, yet whether it is a temporary or a more permanent fixture is yet to be known.

As we saw with SARS in Hong Kong, there will be initiatives and innovations that remain, and others that are phased out over time.