World Class International

Professor Pekka Salminen is convinced that the transfer counter in the new section of the international terminal is one of the best details his firm has ever designed for Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Among his other favourites are the shopping street for the previous expansion ten years ago and the huge triangular roof prisms that transmit daylight and artificial light by turns into the terminal.

“When I design an airport I look at it from the passenger’s point of view. I travel a lot myself so I think it is important for airports to be uncomplicated and services easy to find. If they feel in control, passengers can relax and use the commercial services available.

“Light, transparency and natural materials offer a counterbalance to busy lives. Glass walls help you to understand the space and orient yourself. You know where you are and where you’re going next.”

The floor of the new section, which is dedicated to long-haul and non-Schengen traffic, is laid out in opulent, grey granite from Finland and China. Birch and maple clad the walls.

“Both the architects and the airport wanted plenty of wood,” says Salminen delightedly. “Timber is not just about Finnish romantic notions of the forests; it also shows off Finnish design and expertise, both of which are among the best in the world.

“The airport is by nature international. The Finnishness of the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport International Terminal is evident in the quality of both its services and its structure, which in recent years have been highly acclaimed abroad, too.”