The tender for the construction of the Kuwait International Airport New Terminal Building (T2) was announced with a signing ceremony held on May 30, 2016.Subsequently, the construction site was officially handed over to Limak by the Kuwait Ministry of Public Works (MPW) on August 28, 2016.
The project is planned to significantly increase the existing airport capacity and create a new regional hub.The new terminal building will provide the highest level of comfort for passengers with an area of approximately 750,000 square meters. The building is located under a single roof with glazed openings that refract the sunbeams and let in daylight. The facade of the terminal building is designed to be sand, dust, and explosion-proof. Reflecting the region’s culture of hospitality, the design will create an elegant impression for arriving passengers, with the baggage area surrounded by a refreshing waterfall.
After the new terminal becomes operational, the airport capacity is planned to reach 25 million passengers per year. The terminal building package also includes the construction of a central power building, water storage building, security building, infrastructure tunnel, and electrical substations.
The airport aims to become one of the world’s LEED GOLD-certified terminal buildings and the thermal properties of concrete construction and solar panels mounted on the roof to generate solar energy. The airport’s architectural blueprint comprises three floors and a basement, delineated in a triangular layout, with each side spanning 1.2 kilometers. It is equipped with passenger gates capable of accommodating 21 Code F (A380) aircraft and 9 Code C (A320) aircraft. Through the innovative Multiple Aircraft Ramp System (MARS), this configuration can be reconfigured to service 51 Code C aircraft, ensuring operational flexibility and efficiency.
The primary structure consists of 90 precast concrete columns connected by post-tensioned precast arches. These are supported by 39,800 composite steel and concrete cassettes forming the inner roof. Designed by the world-renowned Pritzker Prize winning architecture firm Foster + Partners, the Kuwait International Airport New Terminal Building project consists of over 1 million cubic meters of concrete and over 150,000 tons of structural steel.
Notably, this tender marks a historic milestone, representing the largest single package tender secured by Turkish contractors on foreign soil.