How can spaces of transience regain a connection to nature and to history?

Our design for the Cartagena Airport explores how an airport can tap into a city’s rich history and ecology.

Cartagena de las Indias is a port city known for its lush landscapes, beaches, and well-preserved colonial architecture. Our airport is both environmentally and regionally sensitive to the city’s distinct character. The structure welcomes the surrounding landscape through a series of interior gardens featuring local vegetation. In turn, these gardens connect to a system of bio-swales which reduce the overall site temperature and mitigate flooding risk. The courtyards create a desirable environment to shop, dine, and relax in. They bring nature to all the main functions of the airport and act as anchors of commercial activity.

The form of the new airport pays homage to the city’s historic fortresses: the arches that line the airport echo the walled city’s classical arches and act as iconic gateways that frame the experience of arrival and departure.

• PROJECT TEAM: Carlos Arnaiz, Laura del Pino, Ignacio Revenga, Alden Ching, Meng Huang, Yifeng Wang, Kelvin Tseng
• CLIENT: Conecta Caribe
• CONSULTANTS: AECOM