Operations/Terminal Building Farnborough Airport

The 4,000sqm operations/terminal building at TAG Farnborough Airport, business aviation facility and home of the world famous airshow, has been conceived as a ‘wing’ hovering over the landscape. The building walls and roof run seamlessly into each other to create a highly sculptural building giving constantly changing views when moving around it. The building is a long thin building cranked in the middle in order to maximise views from all parts of the building over the aircraft apron.

The building form becomes an extension of the sweeping landscape bund, devised to screen the car parking spaces from Ively Road and minimise visual clutter. The building has been constructed from materials and detailed in such a way as a reflection of aircraft technology. The main two storey ‘wing’ is clad in 25,000 natural mill finished aluminium shingles and windows and roof lights are detailed to create a dynamic curved skin. The ground floor is predominantly glazed in a bespoke design frameless glazing system.

The ‘wing’ encloses a simple curvilinear tube of space into which the General office floor plates are created. These have been arranged to create a sequence of spaces connecting the two public north and south entrances into a central triple height reception space. All TAG Aviation customers have a very clear route through the building toward reception and the passenger lounge. The building has been planned with all passenger lounge and meeting facilities at ground level allowing uninterrupted views across the airside apron. First and second floor levels are office accommodation for TAG Aviation operations and airport tenant offices. On first floor the offices lead out on to a covered terrace at both ends of the building.