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Deerns commisioned to develop Salerno Airport

6 July 2022 - Deerns will develop the new passenger terminal at Salerno Airport, Amalfi Coast, in association with the design company Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia. The contract is worth 73 million euros. The project team, led by Deerns, which also includes planeground, Tech Project, Od'A Officina d’ Architettura and SF Engineering, will be responsible for extending the runway up to 2,200 meters, the parking area and access to the airport, and the construction of a new terminal of 16,000 m2 with a basement of 3,000 m2. The work is expected to be completed in successive stages by 2035.

“Thanks to effective teamwork, we have implemented an ambitious project that will classify Salerno Airport as one of the most progressive airports with a mix of technology, innovation, sustainability and art,” says Giuseppe Dibari, Managing Director of Deerns Italia.

“The new terminal of Salerno’s ‘Costa d’Amalfi’ is set in an environment rich in history, traditions and culture. Travellers will find a unique identity in the expression of materials, in the flow between open and closed courts, and in the relationship between internal and external spaces,” said Alfonso Femia, founder of Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia.

The new airport, designed to welcome up to 5 million passengers annually , excels in terms of sustainability thanks to the construction of systems geared to reducing CO2, estimated at around 390 tons/year. These include the installation of photovoltaic panels fully integrated into the modular roof structure, which has alternating and variable pitches composed of micro-perforated and opaque panels covered in polychrome ceramic. Particular attention was paid to saving water: rainwater will be appropriately collected and reused for permitted non-potable uses such as irrigation and toilet flushing.

The core architectural concept is a three-dimensional grid to which extendable portions are added. Modular volumes are inserted into the grid, and the spaces are organized on a single level with the option of extending to a higher level. The modularity of the project allows for the limitless expansion of the airport’s operations.

The square at the entrance to the airport, which is connected to the parking lot, is an active interface between the terminal and the landscape. Characterised by climate-mitigating greenery and stretches of water, it will be partially covered by a large pitched system which will create a shady area offering protection from the heat of the summer months. The space also offers relief and escape in situations of excessive crowding.

The materials used in the alternating spaces of the internal courtyards are anchored in the local Vietri ceramics traditional use of terracotta. The landscape enters the terminal, and the terminal becomes the landscape, creating a microclimate where the air is healthier and more breathable.

In committing to such ambitious design and sustainability targets, the Salerno Airport is creating a new standard of user experience in the region.