BIG has unveiled the design for Gelephu International Airport, the gateway to Bhutan’s Gelephu Mindfulness City designed in collaboration with NACO. Blending Bhutan’s cultural heritage with modern innovation, the Gelephu International Airport is designed for mindful travel and future expansion, set against a backdrop of Bhutan’s lush subtropical forests, mountains, and rivers. The airport’s diagrid structure is crafted from locally and sustainably sourced timber and adorned with painted wood carvings by local artists inspired by the ‘Kachen,’ a wooden pillar found in Bhutanese architecture revered for its structural significance and intricate design. The Gelephu International Airport’s design will be showcased at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, Ancient Future in May and exhibited until September. The airport is expected to open in 2029. “An airport is the first and last impression you get of a place you visit. For the Gelephu International Airport, we have tried to embody the nature and culture of the country and the Mindfulness City. The forests that cover the highlands are allowed to flow from the arrival plaza through the airport all the way to the tarmac. Tropical trees provide shade for travelers, and the forest courtyard lines the main functions of immigration, security, and luggage. The airport architecture is composed of modular mass timber frames providing flexibility and expandability, resembling a stylized mountain range at a distance. Upon closer inspection, all the mass timber members are carved and colored according to traditional craft, adorned with three types of dragons representing the past, present, and future of Bhutan. The result is traditional yet avant-garde, forward-reaching and rooted. For me personally, this unusual embrace of traditional craft and color is a true testament to how affected I have been by my encounter with Bhutan – the country, its culture, and its people.” – Bjarke Ingels, Founder & Creative Director, BIG
