|
Entwurf V-VIII
|
An Airport System for the Sudan
There are many reasons which lead to a concern for developing nations and for our interest in building in developing countries. Amongst them is the belief that the next generation of architects will find a world quite different from the one we are moving in now. With it we think it will be necessary to develop a "Meta" level of operation which should allow the identification of alternative
architectural systems as a response to alternative problem areas. Consequently, the development of design strategies will be necessary in order to face quite different conditions from the one we are familiar with.
Since the program of the school of architecture has a rather mono-cultural orientation, it was felt that in addition to it a strong orientation towards the design for developing nations was meaningful.
|
|
The Sudan Airport
While "Building in Developing Countries" or rather, the investigation of alternative architectural systems is the overall theme of our work, an airport system for the various regions of Sudan was the specific mission of the winter semester. The Sudan as a federation of states is in surface area the largest country in Africa. Distances and means of transportation at the moment are not compatible. A system of regional airports therefore is to be developed, connecting the capitals of the different regions with each other and with the capital city of Khartoum.
As the point of departure for such a system, a prototypical airport had to be developed, which takes the specific mission of a regional airport in the Sudan into consideration. It is part of this mission to provide an autonomously functioning station within a larger transportation system, while, at the same time, also providing the means for cultural and economic development of the region.
|
|
The specific climate, the existing and possible level of technology, means of transportation, construction, operation, maintenance, change and growth together with the specific needs of an Islamic population had to be considered.
The airport consisted of five modules:
Two key modules were the airport itself (landside, airside); further modules were a hotel (and business center), service terminal and a repair and maintenance hangar.
Since the whole airport system is in a development stage, no program existed. Its development "by approximation" was part of the semester.
The semester was conducted in teams consisting of both architecture and engineering studenst, the collaboration with Prof. Fontana added another level of reality.
|
H. Fritschi, A. Herter, P. Knupp, C. Casal, V. Orsenigo
|
D. Walser, J. Widner, T. Yli-Suvanto
|
While the work in developing nations is mostly oriented towards housing, there is also the equally important issue of the infrastructure remaining. Airports, harbours, the road systems, public health, buildings for touristic development and many other types of construction determine the overall performance of a social system.
In our case the development of a regional airport system was the problem.
Z. Gasser, R. Gisler, S. Rameneus, A. Roth
|
Since no other means of adequate transprotation exists, the newly established Federations of States can only become a political reality if the representatives of the various regions can participate in time in the political process.
About twenty airports, localities and regions had to be considered.
Transportation to the site, construction under extreme conditions as well as maintenance and operation had to be considered.
|
 |
While an airport itself is part of a high-tech environment, the objects had to be developed for low-cost conditions.
Forms of construction, support facilities, appropriate forms of expression, the fact that sandstorms are a problem as well as details such as a prayer area in an airport and many other totally new design conditions provided the challenge for the winter semester.
|
Z. Gasser, R. Gisler, S. Rameneus, A. Roth
 |
Assistentinnen & Assistenten: Mauro Filoni, Urs Huber, Martina Köberle, Barbara Petri, Tracy Quoidbach, Jürg Späti, Karin von Wietersheim, Chen Zhao
|
