Clark International Airport gets 2021 Prix Versailles awards nomination

Prix Versailles, an annual international awards organization, named the Clark International Airport as one of the finalists for the best architecture and design airport projects in the world.

The airport will be competing against the following: Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt in Germany; Athens International Airport in Greece; Hazrat Sultan International Airport in Kazakhstan; New Plymouth Airport in New Zealand, and LaGuardia Airport-Terminal B in New York, United States.

“To be nominated by a prestigious award-giving body is already a great honor and pride, not just as part of the DOTr, but also most importantly as a Filipino,” Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said.

The French organization will announce the winners in the fourth quarter of the year.

“To regard the Clark International Airport worthy of world recognition is already a huge encouragement for us to keep going and a reassurance that we are on the right track,” Tugade said.

The first hybrid public-private partnership (PPP) project under the Build, Build, Build (BBB) program, the modernized Clark International Airport’s new terminal was developed by Megawide Construction Corp.

Luzon International Premier Airport Development (Lipad) Corp. operates the airport.

Turned over ahead of schedule, Megawide and architecture partner Integrated Design Associates Ltd. (IDA), the new terminal in Pampanga had inspirations drawn from local culture, folklore, and sceneries.

“Understanding that modern airports today must reflect the rich culture of their locations and provide visitors with a first taste of the local flavors, we paid homage to the mountain ranges of Zambales and the majestic Mt. Arayat by designing and building the terminal building with a fluid roofline with peaks similar to the rugged mountains of the area,” Megawide Executive Director for Infrastructure Development Louie Ferrer said.

Megawide and its partners used glued laminated timber (glulam) from Austria to build the roof of the terminal, which will be operational next month.

Equipped for contactless baggage handling, passenger check-ins, and check-outs, and an ordering system that will make travel by air hassle-free and effortless, Clark’s new terminal can serve up to 8 million passengers per year.

Aside from these, the new terminal also features gender-inclusive and PWD-friendly restrooms, advanced docking guidance system, and a Heroes Lounge for soldiers, police officers, and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

Article and Photo originally posted by Business Mirror last August 19, 2021 and written by Lorenz S. Marasigan.