Luxury and extravagance are words juxtaposed synonymous with Dubai’s booming property and business sector. It’s a city that continues to grow exponentially, growth typified by the continued expansion of the Al Maktoum International Airport, which this year summed up one of the world’s busiest airports for international traffic. Also known as Dubai World Central, the Airport in Jebel Ali spans 14,000 hectares. 

The Airport has a projected annual capacity of 12 million tonnes of freight and has become the largest Airport globally with an ultimate capacity of more than 160 million passengers annually. The annual figure is expected to rise nearly to 200 million in conjunction with the USD 30 billion expansion of the Dubai World Centre, presently underway. 

The Dubai government has figured the cost on an estimate to be $82 billion. The Airport reflects as a grand model for other airports wanting to reach a global phenomenon

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AI Maktoum International Airport ©Propsearch

Design Philosophy | Al Maktoum International Airport

A London-based firm Leslie Jones Architecture grabs the commission from Dubai Airports for Al Maktoum International Airport at the yet unbuilt Dubai World Centre. The vision for the airport is to manifest a travel environment that is user-centric and with a spatial efficiency, proactively supporting the non-aeronautical commercial opportunities through successful partnerships and concepts appropriate to the development of this scale. 

The architect describes that the design strategy focuses on this by supporting the creation of an integrated commercial environment that will elevate consumer engagement and optimize space intelligently.

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AI Maktoum International Airport ©Leslie Jones Architecture

Leslie Jones reflects the armour of technical skill and experience in delivering leading design solutions for the project. However, a significant comprehension of administrators’ difficulties inside a flying setting stays basic when planning such a climate. 

The Airport is the largest shareholder of Dubai World Central, with a surface area of more than 280 square kilometres that intends to handle all aircraft types. To be accurate over context, from Al Maktoum International Airport, it generally takes 40 minutes to reach the Dubai Mall, 32 minutes to Palm Jumeirah, and 38 minutes to Burj Al Arab. 

The Airport includes services in precision as listed below.

  • Three major passenger terminals, including two luxury facilities, one dedicated to Emirates, the second to the other carriers, and the third to low-cost carriers.
  • Multiple concourses in conjunction with the services.
  • Executive, private, and royal jet centers.
  • Hotels and shopping complexes.
  • Support and maintenance facility to account as the region’s only hub for A-, B-, and C- checks on all aircraft up to A380 specifications.
  • One hundred thousand parking slots for automobile vehicles.

AI Maktoum was initially designed to function along six runways, but the number was reduced to five 4.5 km parallel runways in 2009, with a passenger complex in the middle. Furthermore, every runway has extended asphalted pathways on either side, allowing aircraft to bypass the various runways without disturbing aircraft movements of these runways and taxiways. 

Dubai expects a remarkable ascent in traveller traffic over its skies, assuming that it will end up being the essential air centre point for travelling explorers from the Greater Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia Pacific Region, South Asia, and Australia. 

A few substantial distribution centres and storages line the westernmost part of the air terminal. These interlinked overhangs extend from start to finish of the westernmost runway. Every one of these is equipped for lodging A380 aeroplanes. The air terminal supplements Dubai International Airport, around 40 km away. A coordination centre encircles it, an extravagant golf resort, an exchange and show office with 3 million square meters of display space, a business locale, and a private zone.

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Shopping Hub AI Maktoum ©Airport Technology

Material and Structural Perspective

Al Maktoum International Airport had a scope of developing tender representations as per the requirements such as creating construction sequencing as per the program, site layout simulation, resource simulation, construction vehicles and traffic simulation, crane simulation,  concrete simulation, precast concrete simulation, steel reinforcement simulation, formwork, and scaffolding simulation. 

The airport project was initially planned to be fully operational by 2017, whereas the 2007–2012 global financial crisis relatively postponed the completion of the entire complex to 2027. 

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Interiors AI Maktoum ©Green Prophet

The main characteristics of the airport are listed below.

  • Five equal Code F runways of 4.5km each long, widely separated to accommodate concurrent fourfold equal aeroplane draws near. 
  • The primary all-climate instrument landing framework (Cat IIIB) permits activities under low permeability conditions. 
  • Triple Code F equals the runway framework close to the two runways on one or the other side of the focal terminal zone. Triple Code F cross-field runways across the focal terminal territory to limit navigating distances and time. 
  • Two terminal offices on one or the other side of the air terminal site, west, and east, giving an ability to more than 50 million O/D travelers altogether. Access to the two terminals will be given through best-in-class advancements at the passageways of the worldwide center point. 
  • Four satellite concourses highlighting an imaginative triple in addition to. 
  • Creative concourse useful plan expecting to raise traveler experience higher than ever, at no other time experienced at any air terminal. 
  • An exceptional six-track mechanized individuals mover framework, interfacing the air terminal’s two terminals with its four satellite concourses intended to permit showing up and leaving travelers to arrive at their objections on a quick travel venture, just as permitting move travelers to course between concourses in a set least associate time, in this manner empowering them to load up their next flight, effectively, opportune and easily, with the additional benefit of appreciating the cutting edge air terminal contributions. 
  • Productive city rail network that empowers expedited administration for travelers who check-in a drop their packs around head out directly to the air terminal. 
  • A monstrous 40km underground street network with numerous paths, being the operational spine of the air terminal. 
  • The most developed computerized worldwide coordination framework at any point utilized at an air terminal, highlighting an immense scope of stuff dealing with the framework. A framework highlighting an organization focused on full availability inside the air terminal’s huge site and empowering rapid responsive vehicles of merchandise. 
  • A huge 8sq km freight office region at the south of the site, upheld by the fast load move offices. 
  • A 5sq km-in addition to cutting edge upkeep offices and air terminal help framework region, giving every one of the important offices to keep up and work the air terminal. 
  • Colossal avalanche business zone, accommodating inn and shopping center advancement to help the air terminal activities.
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Terminal Insight ©Tripway

Masterplan

The integrated concept  for the Airport City is one of simple integration. This involves the making of an immediate relationship characterized by proximity, between another air terminal. Al Maktoum International, and its capacities and the encompassing synergetic land utilizes, subsequently framing the premise of a city-level local area. While the air terminal or flight essential capacities could work agreeably in disconnection, their economic attractions are sufficiently powerful to attract significant developments.

The metro has been stretched out to arrive at the new air terminal, giving a speedier, loose, and brother-free transportation mode for beginning and withdrawing travelers. Moreover, the upside of the Etihad Rail line associated with the air terminal highlights Al Maktoum International as a tremendous multimodal transportation center. It is an air terminal of an uncommon scale, equipped for dealing with more than 220 million travelers and more than 12 million tons of load each year on its fruition. 

Al Maktoum International air terminal is assessed to be associated with multiple times the size of the current Dubai International Airport.

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Masterplan ©Pinterest

VIP Terminal

In December 2016 another VIP terminal was introduced, professing to be the largest purpose-built facility of its sort in the world. Operating 24 hours per day, seven days per week, the 5,600 sq m terminal caters food for private, business, and government VIP explorers. It has devoted traditions, movement, and police administrations, just as independent drop-off and relax territories. Shops inside offer extravagance ‘merchandise’ including works of art, models, vehicles, watches, and property. 

The structure’s plan is motivated by the streamlined lines of an aeroplane wing. The consistent lines of the construction are duplicated in the traditionally planned insides that are fitted with extravagance materials including strong oak framing. Louvered screens covered in an exceptional bronze and gold metallic completion permit the play of light to loan profundity, point of view, and security.

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The Concept of Wings ©ebctv.net

Aero­­space supply chain

The aero­­space inventory network office is an arranged 157,000sq m advancement of aviation support administrations at Al Maktoum International Airport. The offices are being under three stages and are required to be finished in 2018. The inventory network’s key benefit is its essential area, offering unparalleled admittance to both the Al Maktoum International Airport and Jebel Ali Port, just as advantages from Dubai South’s multi-modular coordination stage.

The principal stage was finished in mid-2017 and incorporates a landside office extending over 9,000sq m and 12 units obliging little and medium endeavours in the upkeep, fix and upgrade area. The subsequent stage started in March 2017 and was completed before the year’s over. The third stage began in July 2017 and was planned to be done by mid-2018.

Under the Sustainability Scanner | Al Maktoum International Airport

The goal signifies to get greener faster. AI Maktoum aims to buy green going forward to replace the entire fleet with environmentally friendly options by the end of the next decade. This project involves an expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central. The undertaking is tied in with Carrying out the extension of a worldwide air terminal with the ability to deal with 255 million travelers and more than 12 million tons of load each year. It will be fit for obliging 100 Nos. This task includes the development of Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central. 

During the procedure and insight into details, it was discovered the structure is as of now utilizing 40% less water than the LEED standard and 100% of the water system is being directed with treated water. High scores were likewise given by temperance of an economical buying strategy for support and tasks consumables and sturdy merchandise as electric and IT gear, furniture, cleaning items, and materials. 

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Lightbox Concourse Interior ©Green Stage

The Airport has scooped a main worldwide ‘green’ grant for its air traffic control facility at Dubai World Central, Al Maktoum Airport. The organization, which works with both DWC and Dubai International (DXB), was granted the highest quality level as per the necessities of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for the activity and upkeep of ATC structures. Because of the one-of-a-kind difficulties introduced by the usefulness of an ATC tower, especially the necessity for huge intelligent glass surfaces, not very many worldwide have accomplished the best quality level.

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ATC Tower  ©Construction Week Online

The engineering respondents approve satisfaction to have accomplished the rating and appreciative for the nearby participation of Dubai Air Navigation Services (DANS) and Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP). Overseeing effective and nature agreeable structures are following the Airports’ obligation to develop and deal with business in a maintainable way and to restrict the carbon impression. 

The sun-oriented exhibit is only one of a few undertakings across our air terminals pointed toward receiving approaches to restrict the ecological effect while shielding the huge monetary and social commitments of the flying area.

Author

Dazzling eyes on the visual and literary, Divya seeks to express her understanding of design methodologies and prowess in writing. Architecture for her is a deep impression with a reflection of serene apprehension that yearns the timeless themes of love, solitude, joy, and nature.