Bhutan brings the design for Gelephu Airport to the Venice Architecture Biennale

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Bhutan is showcasing the working design model for the new Gelephu Airport at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale this May.

Running until September of this year, the theme for the 2025 Architecture Biennale revolves around the concept of Ancient Future.

Blending Bhutan’s craft tradition with modern innovation, the new Gelephu International Airport was designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) of Denmark in collaboration with NACO.

The soon to be built facility was designed for mindful travel and future expansion, and set against a backdrop of Bhutan’s lush, subtropical forests, mountains, and rivers. 

According to BIG founder and creative director Bjarke Ingels: “An airport is the first and last impression of a place you visit. For the Gelephu International Airport, we have tried to embody the nature and culture of the country and the Mindfulness City. The forests that cover the highlands are allowed to flow from the arrival plaza through the airport to the tarmac.”

The architectural masterpiece is set to boost tourism in the South Asian nation and is expected to open in 2029.

A unique synthesis of nature and technology

The airport’s diagrid structure is crafted from sustainably sourced timber and adorned with painted wood carvings by local artists inspired by the kachen, a wooden pillar found in Bhutanese architecture revered for its structural significance and intricate design. 

Tropical trees provide shade for travellers, and the forest courtyard lines the main functions of immigration, security, and luggage. 

The airport architecture is composed of modular mass timber frames providing flexibility and expandability, resembling a stylised mountain range at a distance. 

The arrival plaza is divided into four zones, each filled with native plants surrounding the seated areas. 

Upon closer inspection, everything is carved and coloured according to traditional craft, and adorned with three types of dragons representing the past, present, and future of Bhutan; keeping the design spiritually significant. 

A traditional yet avant-garde feature that showcases Bhutan as a forward-thinking nation. 

As Ingels puts it: “For me, this unusual embrace of traditional craft and colour is a true testament to how affected I have been by my encounter with Bhutan: the country, its culture, and its people.”

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