A flowing, ribbon-like wall has been installed in the Istanbul New Airport, uniting a suite of lounges and forming an intuitive route.
Designed by Softroom for Turkish Airlines, the Flow Wall is over a kilometer long, making it one of the longest parametric interior forms in the world. It weaves through six new lounges, creating a series of unified areas that cater for the differing needs of passengers. The wall and the 19,000m² (204,500ft²) of lounges that it knits together are the result of an international competition won by Softroom to create physical spaces that embody Turkish Airline’s new brand philosophy of ‘flow’ within the airport environment.
Beyond symbolic value, the Flow Wall facilitates a seamless passenger journey, acting as a common feature through a series of lounges. The wall shifts and changes as it moves through the lounges, accentuating various functions. When it reaches the cinema room, for example, it shrinks down to draw passengers toward the screen. Placed high up on the central axis of the building, and resonating with the domed forms of the main roof, the Flow Wall is immediately identifiable from the entrance, highlighting the prime location of the Turkish Airlines lounges.
The ribbon starts its role as a guide through Turkish Airlines’ premium check-in zone. At the main entrances to the lounges, the iconic Turkish Airlines logo punctuates the installation, which then leads passengers up to a calm refuge at the center of the busy airport. The wall flows through the reception area and then into the main space, which becomes a hub for access to many different zones.
Softroom director Christopher Bagot said, “Turkish Airlines needed us to deliver an iconic design for its lounges that symbolizes the seamless passenger experience and envelops passengers in an atmosphere of Turkish hospitality. The Flow Wall is a groundbreaking project that shows how creativity and technology can combine to reconsider the ways we delineate interior space and guide passengers through intuitive wayfinding.”
The six lounges are made up of two 6,000m² (64,580ft²) international departure lounges (one for business class and one for loyalty program passengers); a 2,700m² (29,060ft²) Exclusive lounge for Turkish Airlines’ most frequent flyers; a lounge for arriving passengers; and two domestic lounges with their own check-in and departure areas.
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