New Florence Airport terminal accommodating 10 planes, with car parking and a subterranean winery integrating with the surrounding Tuscan hills

Eckersley O’Callaghan has been appointed to undertake the structural scheming and design from stages 2 to 5 in collaboration with Italian engineering firm TEKNE. Structural responsibilities include the design of the roof structure and the winery, undertaking a feasibility study for tree-columns by collaborating with precast concrete contractors and providing quantity survey and cost estimates for the structural package.

The main structure will be supported by either in-situ or precast concrete structure transmitting the forces into a grid of tree like mega columns. An interesting feature of this project is the roof of the main structure which will be covered by a vineyard.

A key challenge of this project has been the large size and unconventional structural system which required an options appraisal of framing material and has led to the decision of this project being constructed using concrete rather than steel. The project includes a mega column grid of 25m x 25m and the mega column is crowned by a 12x12m, 8.5m high inverted pyramid.

Reduced embodied carbon of the project will be achieved through the substitution of a fraction of the cement for ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) and our design will include prestressed tendons or post-tensioning which will reduce the amount of reinforcement and in turn reduce the embodied carbon of the project.

Eckersley O’Callaghan were also involved in the facade engineering concept design, providing high-level support to the design team on the cladding decision making process, material and system optioneering studies and preliminary cost comparison.

Location
Florence, Italy

Client
Toscana Aeroporti

Architect
Rafael Viñoly Architects