Dublin Airport City, Dublin, Ireland

HOK's Airport City design to bring business and travel side by side
HOK have revealed a masterplan for Dublin Airport City which will bring a new business district to the Irish capital just 6 minutes from the airport. The mixed-use business development will create a community of 30,000 people with hotels, shops and offices covering 140 hectares.

The design was commissioned by Dublin Airport Authority. Dublin Airport services 23.24 million people every year travelling to over 150 destinations but the top ten destinations are short-haul with London, Paris and Manchester accounting for the top three suggesting a large business use pattern for the airport. Dublin Airport are also expanding to account for the heavy usage. Tim Gale, HOK’s Head of Master Planning and Urban Design, said:

“Creating a masterplan that integrated with the surrounding development and remained compact was crucial to the success of this design. With increased transport links to the city centre, Airport City will attract global brands to the area and help make Dublin a leading commercial capital in Europe’s future.”

A new 'Automated Passenger Mover' (APM) between the airport and Dublin Airport City has been designed to allow people to move from arrivals to their desk in just 6 minutes. The APM is built 6 metres above the ground separating it from the existing road network making travel faster. It will interconnect with the existing Quality Bus Corridors and the new Metro Station and it is hoped that the system's efficiency will help to reduce car-use to the airport.

Phase 1 and transport links are due to be put in place by 2013 with completion scheduled for 2033.

Niki May Young
News Editor
www.worldarchitecturenews.com

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