Mexico City’s New Airport to be ‘Most Sustainable Airport Ever Built’
LONDON—When Mexico City’s new international airport is completed in 2018, it will be one of the largest in the world, spanning more than half a million square meters (5.4 million ft2). It will also be the most sustainable airport ever built. Instead of a group of warehouse-like terminals, the airport will use a single giant structure wrapped in a unique skin that lets in natural light and air, collects rainwater, and provides views of planes circling the sky. “The vast roof enclosure will be bright and airy, incorporating large areas of translucent and opaque panels, daylight reflectors and building-integrated photovoltaic panels,” explains Piers Heath from architectural firm Foster and Partners, one of the designers. “These are all aimed at providing shade and thermal insulation, while also… diffusing natural daylight throughout the terminal, thus reducing the need for supplementary lighting.” Support buildings and fields on the site will hold more solar panels, ultimately providing 50 MW of peak power. The airport will also have its own on-site central energy plant.
