Location- Istanbul
Architect- Softroom
Award- 2019 WIN Awards
Category- Transport Hub

1.Introduction

The lounge at the Istanbul Airport embodies the Turkish airline’s new philosophy of “flow” within the airport environment. The “Flow Wall” forms a seamless passenger journey by acting as a feature that weaves the spaces of the lounges together. The project includes one of the longest parametric interior forms in the world with its length over one kilometer. Inspired by the Turkish capital, this light-filled interior space feels more like an open-air courtyard than a normal passenger enclosure.

The wall and the 19,000 sqm of lounges that it knits together are the result of an international competition won by Softroomto create physical spaces thatembody Turkish Airline’s new brand philosophy of ‘flow’ within the airport environment. But beyond symbolic value, the Flow Wall directly forms a seamless passenger journey, by acting as an organising feature through a series of lounges. The wall shifts and changes as it moves through the lounges to accentuate various functions. When it reaches the cinema room, it shrinks down to draw passengers towards the screen, while at the main kitchen area it raises up into a peak to act as a beacon from afar.

Placed high-up on the central axis of the building, and resonating with the domed forms of the main roof, the Flow Wallis immediately identifiable from the entrance, highlighting the prime location of the Turkish Airlines’ lounges as a centrepiece of the terminal. The ribbon starts its role as a guide through Turkish Airlines’ premium check-in zone. At the main entrances to the lounges, the iconic Turkish Airlines logo punctuates the installation, which then leads passengers up to a calm refuge at the centre of a busy airport. The wall flows through the reception area and then into the main space, which becomes a hub for access to many different zones. Inspired by Istanbul, this light-filled and uplifting interior space feels more like an open-air courtyard, where passengers feel revived, invigorated and refreshed.

Passengers will move effortlessly through zones and the form of the Flow Wallwill relate this experience to the lightness and dynamism of air travel. Contemporary and dynamic, the wall also has a natural quality that has been imbued into the surface of the wall, which provides a warmth and character to the spaces that it encloses. To achieve this, the complex forms were realised in a plywood structure, skinned in strips of bleached oak.The surface is divided by seven flowing lines, representing how Turkish Airlines connect the continents of the world.Light is also used to increase intuitive wayfinding. Flow lines in the wall itself are animated by over five-and-a-half kilometres of programmable LED lightingthat can pulse or glow when needed, and overhead strips of lighting at the lower levels follow the contours of particular routes, reflecting off the highly polished floor.

2.Advantages

The six lounges are made up of two6,000 sqminternational departure lounges (one for business class and one for loyalty programme passengers); a 2,700 sqmExclusive lounge for Turkish Airlines’ most frequent flyers;a lounge for arriving passengers and  two domestic lounges with their own check-in and departure areas that have become a mini terminal in their own right.

The lounges are operated and catered by Turkish Do&Co. The focus of the main spaces is food and hospitality and there is a choice of over seven different live cooking counters for passengers to select from, including the famed Pide experience. Turkish Airlines and Do&Cofurnished the lounges and invited local designers to create an installation of an Aegean taverna in the main courtyard, accentuating Turkish food heritage, and a tea room and library behind the ribbon, highlighting the local popularity and variety of this drink.

Sleeping suites and shower rooms provide much-needed private space, featuring a custom-designed dressing area and desk, as well as a generous bed. With full-height glazing overlooking the apron, hardwood floors and Alcantara wall cladding, these suites are the most luxurious spaces available in any airport for a business class passenger. Other functions, like daybed rest areas, cinema, news room, gaming zone, children’s play area and library occupy spaces off to each side of the central courtyard, architecturally defined by the Flow Wall. Prayer rooms, work pods and lockers are located just by the entrance. In the areas beneath the main lounges, mirrored ceilings are used to create an illusionary effect that replicates the open-air courtyard sensation above.

Who can benefit from Turkish Airlines Lounge Miles&Smiles?

• All Turkish Airlines Business Class passengers
• Turkish Airlines Economy Class passengers who are Star Alliance Gold members, and one guest
• Turkish Airlines passengers who are Turkish Airlines Club Card holders and their one guest
• Economy Class passengers who are Miles&Smiles Elite, Elite Plus members and flying on Star Alliance member airlines, and one guest
• Star Alliance member airlines’ Economy Class passengers who are Star Alliance Gold members, and one guest 
• can benefit from our lounge.
• Turkish Airlines Economy Class passengers who are Miles&Smiles Elite or Elite Plus members, and one guest or family member (spouse and child/children up to 25 years of age). The spouse and the child/children are required to enter the lounge together with the member. Children over 25 years of age may enter the lounge at an additional charge.
• Passengers who upgrade to Business Class on domestic flights cannot benefit from the lounge service.
• Please click here for detailed information on paid lounge service use.

3.leadership

Softroom director Christopher Bagot said: “Turkish Airlines needed us to deliver an iconicdesign for their loungesthat symbolizes their seamless passenger experience and envelops passengers in an atmosphere of Turkish hospitality. The Flow Wall is a groundbreaking project that transcends languages and which shows how creativity and technology can combine to reconsider the ways we delineate interior space and guide passengers through intuitive wayfinding.”

Manufacturing the Flow Wall

Mikodam as Manufacturing and applying the Flow Wall designed by Softroom

IKOOR by Mikodam collaborated with Softroom for Turkish Airlines Lounges in Istanbul Airport. Mikodam manufactured and installed the Flow Wall, which is over a kilometer-long timber structure, making it one of the longest parametric interior forms in the world. The oak wall flows through six lounges, spread to an area of 19 000 square meters, unifying them.

Softroom’s design is consisting of two main areas: International Lounges and Domestic Lounges.

International Lounges hold the Main Lounges and the Exclusive Lounge. Flow Wall acts as an organizing feature throughout the areas shifting and changing according to various functions.

Turkish Airlines Domestic Lounges which has its own drop-off, check-in, security and departures is a mini terminal on its own taking 3200 square meters. There are business class and loyalty programme departure lounges within this part as well.

Mikodam / IKOOR’s signature can also be seen at the L-Counter which is designed by Dinamika. The counter holds business check-in area on one side and frequent flyer on the other; acrylic and lacquer are used for the counter and the brand walls within the design.   

4.Conclusion

A flowing, ribbon-like wall has been installed in the new Istanbul Airport that unites a suite of lounges, forming an intuitive route through space that transcends barriers of language and culture. Designed by Softroom for Turkish Airlines, the Flow Wall is over akilometre long, making it one of the longest parametric interior forms in the world. It provides the visual signature that weaves through the six new lounges, creating a series of unified areas that cater for the differing needs of passengers.

source : archello _ turkishairlines_thinkingthefuture _mikodam

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