Brussels Airport (BRU) infrastructure: future

[Stij]

Calatrava's design for Guillemins is beautiful, but it is a building on its own and the city of Liège has some major plans with the surrounding area making the building even fit more into the surrounding. A major (international) station like Guillemins has a central city function in the opinion of the NMBS and thus deserves an outstanding design. The Connector at BRU only has the function to funnel peopla between the terminal and the A-pier and thus does not need an outstanding design imho.

Besides, Calatrava is not a good option. Wasn't Guillemins highly over budget?

Off topic: the most astonishing train station in this country is Antwerp Central Station in my opinion. Old and new perfectly blended together.

1. Architecture can be used as publicity. Every article written about the architecture of your building is free publicity. So good architecture pays of. People visit Liège these days for its railwaystation, beleive it or not.
2. Oh yes, Guillemins went (way) over budget, but was this Calatrava's fault or certain politicians who knew the real budget would never be approved... Funny, isn;t it, major public projects always go way over budget!
3. I worked on the Guillemins project, so, it's kind of my "baby"... so allow me to say this: Antwerp is a very beautiful solution for the given problem (keep the old building, but still drill a tunnel under it and augment the capacity drastically), but Guillemins is out of this world.

Kind regards,

Stij

[Atlantis]

The new Remote Arrival Lounge (RAL) is ready and officialy opened on 22 December. This new lounge is build at the beginning of Pier B at the position R5 and R6.

The new Remote Departure Lounge will be ready in April next year and will have it's place at the old Remote Arrival Lounge

[RoMax]

We already saw some renderings about possible 'Connector' designs, and this is another one:

http://www.beelachtergael.be/projects/c ... /index.php

Honestly I liked the previous designs I saw more. This is another desing like you can see so much, nothing really special.

BTW, is their already taken a decision about the design, this website stil mentions it as "in competition", but maybe it's not up to date?
And already some things known about the planned start of the project (and also the other projects)?

[RoMax]

And another design for the connector at Brussels Airport, this time from Abscis.
How many designs have we seen (on the internet)? 3, 4?

See for pictures:
http://abscis-architecten.be/projects/b ... -building/

Really no news yet on a final decision and when works should start?

[brusselsairlinesfan]

And another design for the connector at Brussels Airport, this time from Abscis.
How many designs have we seen (on the internet)? 3, 4?

See for pictures:
http://abscis-architecten.be/projects/b ... -building/

Really no news yet on a final decision and when works should start?

This one is my favourite so far... a good compromise between the current buildings & a blink of an eye to the future!

[Atlantis]

Really no news yet on a final decision and when works should start?

One of the best secrets of the airport;-)

[sn26567]

The new infrastructure programme is on its way. Brussels Airport has launched an environmental incidence study for the approval of a 460 million EUR plan by the Flemish authorities. The programme comprises:

1. Twenty new gates at the west of the A pier, increasing the airport capacity by 18%. This should be completed in 2016.

2. The "Connector" between the main building and the A pier on two levels. This should ready by 2014.

3. A business centre (the "Gateway") in the building of the old airport, with 34,000 m² of offices and multimodal acc ess.

4. A new freight building at Brucargo.

More details: http://www.lecho.be/actualite/entrepris ... source=SIM

[Boavida]

Some pictures of the (definitive) design of the new 'connector' building:








Pictures: © Chapman Taylor

Not a very attractive design, if you ask me.

[airbuske]

Chapman Taylor designed Dubai Concourse 3 and Faro Airport.

[Atlantis]

In meantime more info about the Jetairfly project on the airport.

As we al knew since a while they are builing on the ground of former Hangar 40.

Jetairfly stated in their pressrelease that they will have two mainbuilding in Belgium: Zaventem and Oostende. They will centralize some departments who are now spread over Flanders.

And their building looks very nice with a connection with the hangar. It will give space to one B787 and one B737 or 3 B737 and even a B777 and A350 is possible.
Arcitect office is Jaspers/Eyers


Source: Jetairfly press release/Flightlevel

[VEX802]

Here is a picture of the new hangar in Brussels.:

[sn26567]

Here is a picture of the new hangar in Brussels.:

I'm afraid the picture doesn't show: it is a link to a site that does not allow that.

[VEX802]

Here is a picture of the new hangar in Brussels.:

I'm afraid the picture doesn't show: it is a link to a site that does not allow that.

My apologies, here is the link to the website of the picture:
http://www.flightlevel.be/11600/het-suc ... -jetairfly

[flymd11]

I thought the PR talked about a 'Sky Bridge' which implies something over the taxiway (similar to LGW). What they seem to actually be planning is a normal terminal extension blocking the taxiway. There's a difference.

On another note, I saw that Easyjet no longer use the jetway stands at the end of the A pier. Instead they have A3X gates (downstairs) with a holding pen and walk to the aircraft. How long has this been in operation?

[Stij]

I thought the PR talked about a 'Sky Bridge' which implies something over the taxiway (similar to LGW). What they seem to actually be planning is a normal terminal extension blocking the taxiway. There's a difference.

On another note, I saw that Easyjet no longer use the jetway stands at the end of the A pier. Instead they have A3X gates (downstairs) with a holding pen and walk to the aircraft. How long has this been in operation?

I don't know exactly, but I used it on february 21th....

Kind regards,

Stij

[Atlantis]

On the website of J-E Jaspers-Eyers architects you can find in meantime a new picture of the new maintenance/office building.

[RoMax]

I thought the PR talked about a 'Sky Bridge' which implies something over the taxiway (similar to LGW). What they seem to actually be planning is a normal terminal extension blocking the taxiway. There's a difference.

As from what I remember, BRU always talked about 'the connector', intended to have a connection between the terminal and the A-pier at ground level. Pax are losing time, and are annoyed by "the steps down/steps up thing" to get in the A-pier.
A Sky Bridge wouldn't change anything, except that they go up instead of going down...quite a waste of money then.

[convair]

Never heard anyone complain about the tunnel. This connector is a loss of money to me, unless Brussels Airport intends to make it a shopping mall...which they probably will.

[Conti764]

Never heard anyone complain about the tunnel. This connector is a loss of money to me, unless Brussels Airport intends to make it a shopping mall...which they probably will.

I've heard a lot of people complaining about the long dull walk under the tarmac. There is nothing to see or do in that tunnel. You have three rolling carpets, and a long advertising space from the start to the end. That's it.

Building a ground level connection is a wise thing to do. More space, more daylight, more things to see and to do,... Besides that, it is the goal to change security and centralise it at one point, right behind the check-in area and before border control for non-shengen flights.

And once everything is completed, A-pier West will be opened, you'll have one nice stretch from the departure hall to both the Western expansion and the excisting infrastructure. Only downside is that when a plane has to leave from the first gate at the southern apron of the future extension and has to take off from rwy02, it has to take a long trip.

Something we might see one day is the opening of a brand new terminal 2, at the current location of the former DHL-building 02. But even if one day realized, it will still take many years. Although the current departure can get really crowded at peak times.

[regi]

Never heard anyone complain about the tunnel. This connector is a loss of money to me, unless Brussels Airport intends to make it a shopping mall...which they probably will.

The transfer system has been a major complaint on many fora all over the world for many years.
You are right that most complaints don't point specifically to the tunnel - because passengers do not realize that they walk inside a tunnel. But the system with elevators, rolling stairs, long walks has been criticised numerous times.
The new connector will not change that much. All in all, we have noticed that the bad impression of that long walk is mostly just an impression. Was it not Jan or Stijn who made it in 10 minutes from airplane to the outside of the terminal building?