The Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corp. (LIPAD), operator of Clark International Airport (CRK), has appointed global design firm Populous as lead interior designer of the just-completed second CRK passenger terminal building (PTB).
Populous specializes in places of mass congregation, including sports, entertainment, convention and exhibition centers, as well as arenas and airports. Their notable projects include a major upgrading of Kansai Airport in Japan’s second biggest metropolitan area, Zhuhai International Airport, Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium, and the Philippine Arena.
“The vision of Populous for CRK is to create a new terminal that is international in its standards and operations, but local in terms of its materiality and sense of place,” Populous said in a statement.
It noted that Pampanga, where Clark is situated, offers spectacular natural scenery including lava riverbeds, lush green mountains, and teal blue volcanic lakes.
“Populous drew inspiration from this to select a material palette that nods towards that vibrancy and avoids the neutral, beige palette which afflicts many airports around the world. Passenger experience is at the heart of the design and it will offer a fresh new experience each time someone visits,” it said.
Populous is working with Casas+Architects, the local architectural design firm behind many of the iconic structures that dot the Manila skyline, including the tallest building in the country, the Grand Hyatt Manila in Bonifacio Global City.
The second CRK PTB is targeted to be operational by 2021, one year after turnover of the building shell, which was constructed by the joint venture of Megawide Corp. and India’s GMR Infrastructure and was fully completed at the end of September.
READ: Clark airport passenger terminal building completed
The new PTB is projected to triple CRK’s operational capacity from the current 4.2 million passengers to 12.2 million passengers annually.
It is also envisioned to help spur economic progress and development in Central Luzon, and ease congestion at the country’s main gateway, Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The new PTB is part of a five-phase expansion plan to make CRK a major gateway in the region. Once the entire expansion project is completed, it will bring CRK’s annual capacity to 80 million passengers,
LIPAD is the private concessionaire that has managed the operations and maintenance of CRK since August 2019.
