Zürich Airport
As a specialist consultant to Schmidt Hammer Lassen, APA contributed to the competition for Zürich Airport’s expansion, including the new Finger A and terminal connection.
APA was responsible for designing clear and efficient flows for passengers, staff, baggage handlers, and buses. The concept was based on three key principles: Intuition, Efficiency, and Security, supporting a future-ready aviation infrastructure through logical movement and clear separation of passengers by security and Schengen status.
Facts
-
Specialist Consultant
-
???
-
Zürich, Switzerland
-
250,000 m²
-
Not built, competition ???
-
Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
Intuition
Any change in direction or level must be supported by architectural elements that aid orientation—either through strategically placed wayfinding zones or by drawing natural light from façades and skylights into the flow areas. Materials and artificial lighting also play a key role in creating intuitive movement; they not only guide direction but also signal the pace of flow, indicating whether a space is meant for quick transit or slower circulation.
Efficiency
Our flow designs prioritize maximum capacity and flexibility. The gate towers exemplify this approach, as they can accommodate various boarding and deboarding sequences simultaneously, along with different passenger categories. The flexible and adaptable design allows for fast-track and priority boarding when required, while supporting long-term operational flexibility.
Security
The proposed flows in the competition entry fully respect the required separation of passenger types, ensuring that individuals with different security statuses cannot intermingle before completing security screening and/or passport control. Additionally, the flow design integrates seamlessly with existing circulation patterns at Zürich Airport, allowing transfer connections for all passenger categories from Finger A to all other terminals.
-
![Departure area at Zürich Airport with clearly structured passenger movement]()
Image Credit: Schmidt Hammer Lassen
-
![Boarding area at Zürich Airport illustrating gate access.]()
