Madrid International Airport
Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas International Airport is the second largest airport in Europe...
In November 2022, the doors to the new Kempegowda International Airport Terminal 2 in Bengaluru, India opened for the first travelers. The terminal, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), reflects India’s third largest city, known as the ‘Garden City’ and capital of technological innovation. Everywhere in and around the terminal, visitors experience nature. Both indoors and outdoors, ceilings and pillars are fitted with natural and innovative bamboo tubes, developed and supplied by Moso International BV. The natural, rapidly renewable raw material has been processed using innovative techniques into a round tube that, installed in a Lindner Group installation system, meets all the requirements for an airport with an expected 65 million visitors per year from 2025 onwards.
At the beginning of 2017, Moso International BV was approached about the supply of bamboo stems for the airport project in India. It became immediately clear that high requirements were imposed on the durability and safety of the material. Considering the amount of material and the fact that the bamboo stems were to be used as a ceiling, the MOSO® R&D team got to work to find alternatives for raw bamboo stems. Bamboo stems are never the same shape or quality and will crack if the temperature and humidity conditions fluctuate, making it impossible to achieve the desired fire and durability class without further processing of the material.
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) designs, one of the world’s leading architecture, interior design, engineering and urban planning companies, speak for themselves: the inspiration for the design of Kempegowda International Airport Terminal 2 in Bengaluru lies in nature. No matter the entrance in which the visitor approaches the terminal next year, senses are instantly stimulated by elements of nature. Plants and a waterfall create the illusion of walking through a forest, as well as enriching the purification of the air. Everywhere in the terminal materials have been used that enhance the natural landscape: the walls are made of brick, the floors are covered with natural terrazzo, and the ceiling is finished with bamboo. SOM Director Peter Lefkovits says:
Terminal 2 will stand apart from every other airport in the world, the orchestration of every component—both natural and man-made—creates a passenger experience that we hope will set a precedent for the future of airport design.
It soon became clear to MOSO® that offering the right solution for this project would only be possible in cooperation with a reliable installation partner. Through cooperation with the Lindner Group, Europe’s leading manufacturer and contractor for the building envelope, interior fit-out and insulation., and following an extensive development process with partner factories in China, MOSO® developed laminated bamboo tubes that were recommended to the architects instead of bamboo stems. The bamboo tubes are made from bamboo strips, which are laminated into solid and hollow tubes in specially developed presses. In this way, custom-made tubes can be supplied with minimal tolerances. In the production process, the bamboo tubes are treated using innovative techniques so that they meet the sustainability and safety requirements. These bamboo tubes are installed by the Lindner Group at the airport in a ceiling system. MOSO® also supplies bamboo tubes for decorating the pillars.
All project parties focus on sustainable building techniques and sustainable natural building materials. In doing so, Kempegowda International Airport aims to obtain the energy required for the entire airport from renewable sources from 2020 onwards by, among others, substantially reducing energy consumption. The construction of a lagoon for watering the plants and the application of innovative glass that contributes to the indoor climate increase the feasibility of the sustainability targets. The bamboo tubes in the airport not only enhance the natural appearance of Terminal 2 in Bengaluru, but also contribute to the sustainability goals of the project. In total, approx. 2650 ton of Construction Stored Carbon (CSC) will be stored in the bamboo tubes during the lifetime of the material, which is equivalent to the energy consumption of 716 average Dutch households on an annual basis (Milieucentraal, 2022) Based on a life cycle analysis according to ISO 14040/44, it can be stated that, despite production in China and transport, solid MOSO® Bamboo Products, such as the bamboo tubes, are CO2 neutral during the product lifespan. Bamboo is recognized by architects as a sustainable building material because it is rapidly renewable, can be harvested after only 5 years, and is suitable for reforestation of degraded land.
To date, Madrid’s Barajas Adolfo Suárez airport, designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and Estudio Lamela Arquitectos, with 200,000 m² MOSO® Bamboo Ceiling Panels, is the largest bamboo reference project in the world. Kempegowda International Airport Terminal 2 in Bengaluru surpasses this project in volume and value of bamboo. Besides the fact that both projects involve airports, there are more similarities for MOSO®. The demands of the material are high for the:
Especially in buildings where so many people come together, the safety and quality of the building materials have the highest priority. MOSO® knows better than anyone how to implement the requirements of architects, contractors and owners of public buildings in bamboo product solutions. Thanks to a team of more than 20 employees in China, even in a year in which the COVID-19 virus held the world in its grip, it is possible to comprehensively inspect and test the production process and end products at partner manufacturers in China in order to guarantee the agreed quality.
Worldwide there are numerous examples of projects with bamboo. We would like to present to you a number of recently completed projects:
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“A project that makes use of MOSO® Bamboo Products offers several advantages compared to wood and other alternative materials, plus MOSO® Bamboo will last for years to come.”
Arjen Veltman
Commercial Director of Moso International BV, the Netherlands
