As India's Airports Modernize, Will They Lose Their Uniqueness?

Airports first and foremost have to be functional and user-friendly buildings. But that does not have to come at the expense of character and local touch. The originally envisaged design for an expanded Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi was rejected because it was not "modern" enough in appearance. The design had been based on locally sourced sandstone giving the building a distinctly Indian character and feel. It would also have been a good insulator from Delhi's summer heat and hence an energy efficient choice.
A friend recently confessed to me that he misses his "old Indira Gandhi International Airport." To him it held a special appeal: a typically Indian character, a flair and feel that to him was so naturally Indian – and something which is now sorely lacking. I don't share that feeling – too often I have been stuck in never-ending queues, rudely processed by check-in staff, or given looks as only immigration officers can that make you feel guilty of something. But my friend did have a valid point.
The world's most famous airports are designed by big name architects such as Foster & Partners who claim London's Stansted and Hong Kong's Chep Lap Kok among their prizes. Heathrow's landmark T5 and Madrid's T4 were designed by Richard Rogers while Helmut Jahn has Chicago O'Hare, Cologne/Bonn and Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport under his belt. Aeroports de Paris's Chief Architect Paul Andreu has also fathered a fair number of aerodromes. Others that could not afford the big names have tried to emulate them as best they can.
Grand architecture is well and good. Yet traveling, whatever the purpose, should always convey a definite and unique sense of place. It should be palatable from the architecture, the shops and merchandize, the decorations, smells, colors and sounds that the journey has actually taken you somewhere else.
India is undergoing a major airport development program. The airports authority is currently undertaking significant expansions at Chennai and Kolkata. Chandigarh is due to grow significantly and many new airports including a second major airport for Mumbai are in the pipeline. One can only hope that India's netas and babus will not stand in the way of world class infrastructure with an Indian touch. If anything, they should understand and encourage the value of incorporating the country's rich local history, diverse culture and flavors and marry those with good quality of service.
29/06/09 Ansgar Sickert (Managing Director,Fraport India, New Delhi)/The Wall Street Journal, USA

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Categories: Airports Jun 2009