Infrastructure & Aviation

Keflavik Airport Terminal Expansion

Project information

  1. Location Reykjavik‚ Iceland
  2. Area36.800 m²

Project details

  1. Year2020 — ongoing
  2. StatusUnder development
  3. Partners Verkis
    EFLA
    VSÒ
    CPI
  4. Client Isavia
  5. Enquiries Ingrid Motzfeldt
    Nettie Hew
  6. Scope Airport planning and design
    Sustainability
    VIZ
    BIM
    Interior design
    Terminal planning and design
    Dimensioning and capacity analysis
    Passenger boarding bridges
    Baggage Handling Systems
    Wayfinding and signage

Future vision

Nordic triumphed in the competition to deliver the future vision for Keflavik Airport in 2014 and have continued to be involved in developing the phased expansion of the terminal. A number of these projects are now on the immediate horizon, and we are proud to share the first three of these. As with all our terminal projects, the consistent goal of flexibility will be delivered through integrated design, scalability and simplicity.

The East Wing

The new East Wing at the terminal will create a new passenger experience and provide additional services that will improve and expand back of house functions and infrastructure.

A new and vibrant food concept will be created at the departures level. This will be adjacent to four new gate lounges and two bus gates. Additional office area and potential immigration/emigration facilities can be provided on level 3. The East wing will also be the connecting point between SLN21 and a future new East pier that will further increase the terminal capacity, improve passenger flows and airside operations.

For arriving passengers an expanded Duty Free store will offer an improved retail experience. A new arrivals hall with improved baggage reclaim services will continue the warm Icelandic welcome that is part of Isavia’s DNA.

Flexible gate lounges

The South Terminal expansion will improve the experience for people travelling through the airport - with smoother passenger flows, easy orientation and more generous waiting areas.

The two-story building includes both Schengen and non-Schengen departure gates to facilitate for efficient transfers between Europe and North America. Passenger flow studies were conducted to find the optimal way to organise the gates with maximal flexibility of the gate lounge areas.

The design of the expansion is inspired by the adjacent building to establish a holistic appearance of the terminal. It is characterized by a light-filtering facade, with glass panels in silver and bronze - colours that blends well into the surrounding Icelandic landscape.

The interior has a warm and welcoming atmosphere with timber finishes in floors and walls, complimenting the warm tones in the façade.

The heart of the terminal

Nordic were tasked with creating a building that was timeless and enduring – suggesting the creation of a sense of place and identity that was undeniably Icelandic. The result is the concept that the team developed – Tectonic. Inspired by the shifting plates of the earth, the varying and asymmetric roof forms and the openings between them create a variety of both direct and diffuse natural light that evokes the ever-changing landscapes of Iceland.

Replacing what is today just a functional connection, SLN21 will form the new heart of Keflavík Airport, something that all departing and arriving passengers to Iceland will experience. The space will offer an improved experience for all passenger groups; from the bright Departure Lounge with its optimal F&B and retail units above, to the warm welcome for all arrivals and transferring passengers from Non-Schengen countries at apron level below.