The tender for the construction of the Kuwait International Airport New Terminal Building (T2) was announced with a signing ceremony held on May 30, 2016.Subsequently, the construction site was officially handed over to Limak by the Kuwait Ministry of Public Works (MPW) on August 28, 2016.
The project is planned to significantly increase the existing airport capacity and create a new regional hub.The new terminal building will provide the highest level of comfort for passengers with an area of approximately 750,000 square meters. The building is located under a single roof with glazed openings that refract the sunbeams and let in daylight. The facade of the terminal building is designed to be sand, dust, and explosion-proof. Reflecting the region’s culture of hospitality, the design will create an elegant impression for arriving passengers, with the baggage area surrounded by a refreshing waterfall.
After the new terminal becomes operational, the airport capacity is planned to reach 25 million passengers per year. The terminal building package also includes the construction of a central power building, water storage building, security building, infrastructure tunnel, and electrical substations.
The airport aims to become one of the world’s LEED GOLD-certified terminal buildings and the thermal properties of concrete construction and solar panels mounted on the roof to generate solar energy. The airport’s architectural blueprint comprises three floors and a basement, delineated in a triangular layout, with each side spanning 1.2 kilometers. It is equipped with passenger gates capable of accommodating 21 Code F (A380) aircraft and 9 Code C (A320) aircraft. Through the innovative Multiple Aircraft Ramp System (MARS), this configuration can be reconfigured to service 51 Code C aircraft, ensuring operational flexibility and efficiency.
The main structure features 90 mega concrete columns connected by post-tensioned precast arches and 817 precast elemants, each weighing between 150 and 350 tons. These are supported by 39,800 composite steel and concrete cassettes forming the internal roof. Designed by the world-renowned, Pritzker Prize-winning architectural firm Foster + Partners, the project involves over 1 million cubic meters of concrete and more than 150,000 tons of structural steel.
This tender holds the distinction of being the largest single-package contract ever awarded to a Turkish contractor abroad.