Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Terminal 2, Mumbai

On January 10th 2014, India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Terminal 2 in Mumbai.

Architecturally inspired by the form of traditional Indian pavilions, the terminal is four stories high with interconnecting light slots and multi-story light wells that ensure light penetrates into the lower floors of the building, acting as a constant reminder of the surrounding city and landscape.

HED was given carte blanche to design an internal landscape that sought to capture something of the Spirit of India complementing the architectural vision and the Terminal’s unique commitment to art described by the operator GVK as “India’s largest public art program.”

Walls of vegetation and water cascade between levels making every change in the journey a delight providing not only clues to the onward destination rediscovered at the green gates, but also providing calm respite at the usually mundane baggage reclaim and the more dramatic airside gardens falling between the two departure levels.

In the words of Gandhi “I want the culture of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible".