US studio Rafael Viñoly Architects has unveiled its plans for an international terminal at Florence Airport in Italy that will be crowned by a 7.7-hectare vineyard.
The airport terminal will encompass 50,000 square metres and is expected to be used by more than 5.9 million passengers annually.
Rafael Viñoly Architects has an international terminal for Florence Airport
Few details about the design have been released, but the terminal's main feature will be a vast sloping roof, which will be lined with skylights and 38 rows of usable vineyards.
According to Rafael Viñoly Architects, this is a nod to Florence's reputation as "the heart of Italy's renowned wine country", Tuscany.
The terminal will be crowned by a 7.7-hectare vineyard "Unique to the new terminal will be a 19-acre (7.7 hectares) vineyard that gently slopes upward to embrace the sky-lit airport terminal," said the studio.
"A leading vintner from the region will cultivate the vineyards, and the wine will be crafted and aged in specialized cellars beneath the terminal's roof."
A central plaza will feature inside
Inside, the terminal will feature a large piazza-like space at its centre, which will be flanked by the arrivals and departures areas on opposite sides.
This central space will be linked to transport, parking and retail spaces open to both passengers and local people, and is hoped to streamline circulation for the terminal.

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