Vilnius Airport Arrivals Terminal | Zaha Hadid Architects

Lithuanian Airports today announced that Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has been selected as
the winner of the international architectural competition to design the new arrivals terminal
at Vilnius Airport. The project represents a significant milestone in the airport's long-term
strategic plan to accommodate predicted growth in passenger demand and strengthen
Lithuania's position as a leading gateway in the Baltic region.

"The arrivals terminal of Vilnius Airport requires updating – it has long since ceased to meet
today's needs or the airport’s future capacity and vision. As the gateway to Lithuania, the
terminal creates the first impression for everyone arriving into the country. The very high
quality of ideas in the design competition proposed the most modern, convenient solutions
that can adapt to the airport’s future requirements," said Eugenijus Sabutis, Lithuania's
Minister of Transport and Communications.

Currently operating at capacity, Lithuanian Airports are developing the new arrivals terminal
at Vilnius Airport as a strategically important project for the country's aviation and economic
growth. Supporting the recent completion of the airport’s departure terminal, the new
arrivals terminal will enable the airport to serve up to 10.6 million passengers annually,
meeting continued growth in demand for air travel.

"For us, functionality and the highest level of passenger experience are most important. The
winning proposal combines these key requirements with unique architectural solutions that
connect the airport’s contemporary and future infrastructure with the cultural identity of
Lithuania. We consider the terminal to be an excellent business card for all visitors," said
Simonas Bartkus, CEO of Lithuanian Airports.

ZHA's design draws from Lithuanian cultural heritage, incorporating traditional motifs and art
forms within a contemporary architectural language. The terminal's modular geometry
originates from the rhombus, a triangular shape that holds significant meaning in Baltic
folklore.

"The design presents a mature architectural solution for a public infrastructure project of this
scale. It boldly steps into the future but maintains respect for its location and the
environment. I believe the new terminal will not only ensure functionality and passenger
comfort, but will also become an example of sustainable, high-quality architectural
development in Vilnius," said architect Laura Kairienė, Vilnius City Chief Executive Officer.
The composition and scale of the new arrivals terminal has been defined by the airport’s
existing facilities; positioning the historic Terminal 1 at the centre of a unified ensemble
flanked by the contemporary departure and arrivals terminals.

Aligning with the Vilnius Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, the new arrivals terminal prioritises
seamless passenger connectivity with the airport’s existing facilities. The terminal's design is
integrated with the airport’s ongoing development of its masterplan that will create an
important multi-modal transport hub for the city at its central Airport Plaza. With a planned
Rail Baltica high-speed rail station as well as regional and local passenger rail services, Airport
Plaza will also be served by local and intercity bus networks, taxi services, as well as cycling
and pedestrian routes.

The terminal’s interiors reference Lithuanian sodai straw gardens, a traditional art form
recognized by UNESCO as part of the nation's cultural heritage. Intricately crafted from stalks
of grain, sodai are hanging ornaments with triangular geometric structures associated throughout the region with well-being and celebration.

Evoking the experience of being immersed within traditional sodai, the terminal’s pleated
roof finished in timber from local forests defines the interiors and reflects the art form’s
delicate, interconnected geometries. Rhomboid and triangular shaped skylights incorporated
within the roof flood natural light throughout the interiors while also expressing the
terminal’s unique structure.
This modular roof structure ensures the new arrivals terminal can support advancing aviation
technologies and future passenger demand while maintaining the highest performance
efficiency.
The design prioritises intuitive orientation and navigation. Natural light and views towards
the city will guide passengers seamlessly through the terminal with all facilities and amenities
accessible to all passengers and their luggage.
"The result is an architectural language that is both innovative and rooted in local heritage.
Looking to the future, the terminal’s design offers a seamless passenger experience directly
connects with the city’s transport network" said Ludovico Lombardi, ZHA director.
Targeting an 'Excellent’ BREEAM rating, the arrivals terminal incorporates passive design
features mitigating heat gain in summer while encouraging heat retention in winter. A high-
performance double-insulated glazing system is combined with hybrid natural ventilation and
smart building systems that learn to predict daily passenger flows, automatically adjusting to
reduce energy consumption.

On-site energy generation will be provided from approximately 13,000 m² of new solar
panels installed on the roof of the arrivals terminal and surrounding ancillary buildings. The
design also incorporates rainwater harvesting, stormwater management, and greywater
recycling via a system of natural water filtration and storage for reuse.

An international team from Tyréns Group contributed to the structural engineering and
sustainable design of the terminal, in addition to its masterplanning and traffic solutions for
public transportation, cars, cyclists and pedestrians.

"The design incorporates Tyrén’s interdisciplinary expertise as a leader in structural
engineering and sustainable building technologies. The new arrivals terminal reflects Tyréns’
commitment to delivering sustainable engineering and design services that build lasting
value for future generations,” said Agnė Peikštenienė, Tyréns project lead.

The new Vilnius Airport arrivals terminal is integral to the city’s long-term masterplan to
enhance Lithuania’s regional and global connectivity over the coming 30 years.

Supporting Vilnius Airport's role as Lithuania's main gateway and a fully integrated air, rail
and road transportation hub for the Baltic region, the airport’s enhanced capacity will enable
direct flights that connect Vilnius with many new destinations, contributing to the local
economy while improving the country's global accessibility.

Design: Patrik Schumacher

ZHA Project Directors: Gianluca Racana, Ludovico Lombardi, Michele Salvi, Cristiano Ceccato (Aviation Director)

ZHA Project Associate: Davide Del Giudice

ZHA Project Architects: Luca Ruggeri, Cristina Barrios Cabrera (ZHA Aviation team)

ZHA Project Team: Maria Lagging, Gizem Muhtaroglu, Louai Jaber, Sevval Alp

ZHA Sustainability Team: Bahaa Alnassrallah, Abhilash Menon, Aleksander Mastalski, Jing Xu, Shibani Choudhury, Disha Shetty, Aditya Ambare

ZHA Space Planning Team: Ulrich Blum, Danial Haziq Hamdan

ZHA Modelmaker: Adam Twigger

ZHA Acquisitions: Marcella Fedele, Lenie Metse

Engineering: Tyrens Lithuania, Tyrens Sweden, Tyrens group (international)

Visuals: Negativ – Brano Marsalek