BIAL has been negatively criticized as "Shopping Mall", "Factory-Shed" or "Warehouse" from many quarters.
The leading airports across the world such as Changi-Singapore, Lantau or Kaitak-Hongkong, Schipol-Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Heathrow-London, Dubai & the newer Swarnabhumi-Bangkok all include some design feature/s that leave a lasting impression on users.
In comparison, BIAL has a large replica of a Louis-Vitton suitcase outside, & even this is a promotional /commercial effort.
Even shopping malls remember this important aspect & add value to their building/s by sacrificing some commercial space to add a fountain or a skydome or a water fall to capture customers' memories.
A replica of the hampi chariot, or a model of brindavan gardens, or models of the mysore or bangalore palaces in the departure hall would have gone a long way in making the BIAL experience memorable. As of now, BIAL is disappointing on this front as it more or less resembles an upscale shopping mall, minus any design feature/s, with all available space used up on commercialization.
I hope the promoters do remember this when they expand the airport,
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Comments
Rightly Said
I was very disappointed when i saw the international departure hall. Just a big hall where every one is dumped in. If one flight has 200 passengers that would occupy the whole hall. Just imagine in future two international flights taking off in 10 min interval. Maja ajayega........
There is no segregation for separate gates as it is internationally followed. BIAL cannot be boasted of its international standards in all aspects.
I think the designers should have taken a trip to new beijing airport to learn some tricks.
The biggest problem is parking and way people enter into the airport. Atleast as i posted long long long ............. back, there should have been clear distinction between arrivals and departures in two diff floors, this is internationally followed, and i have not seen any international airport which does not have this facility (except the ones in india).
All in all my 2 cents to the whole design, we donot know with how much constraints they were designing, lot of stakes involved.
BIAL Plans for a Budget terminal !
BIAL is planning to build a Budget terminal for Deccan and spicejet passengers in the second phase which Mr Brunner says will be completed end of 2009 Dec. The 2nd phase expansion includes 2nd runway and another terminal he says.
More here http://www.livemint.com/2008/06/16234633/Bial-plans-terminal-for-budget.html
My take Mr. Brunner you should convert the existing terminal in to a budget terminal and please please please redesign the whole terminal concept for further expansion with the second runway. I dont think another factory expansion is the need of the hour.
Budget Terminal?
User Interaction Designer
Bangalore
and what would it feel like..
From the experiences we have been reading through, the present BIAL terminal already seems like a budget terminal, with less number of seats, poorly maintained and insufficient toilets.
I am scared at the thought of imagining what would the budget terminal have to offer ?
http://clean-and-green.bl...
BIA budget terminal...
...will give circus tents a run for their money. So now we get to use a pared down version of a warehouse and pay UDF too?
Sand and dust are the primary design features at BIAL.
The primry design feature at BIAL, in my opinion, is sand and dust. It is obvious that BIAL have worked very very hard to make a dusty and sandy airport for an otherwise green Bangalore. I think, therefore, that they need only make a few sand-dunes as a design feature.
Apology of an airport, BIAL, is nothing but an example of showing the world how we continue to be fooled because we let ourselves be fooled.