Bengaluru: 'Walk through a garden before boarding your flight'

Walk through a garden before boarding your flight. The glitzy Terminal-2 of the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) awaiting inauguration seeks to give this pleasant experience to travellers, as the Rs 5000 crore initiative has incorporated the concept of a ”Terminal-in-a-garden”, a first of its kind.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the airport Friday. Spread over a total area of 2,55,645 square metres, the T-2 in its first phase will have 22 contact gates, 15 bus gates, 95 check-in solutions and 17 security check lanes. There will be nine customs hand baggage screening. The gate lounge will have a seating capacity of 5,932. Phase 1 of T-2 has a capacity of 25 million passengers per annum.

”T-2 is designed in a manner that we retain the philosophy of simplicity and minimal walking distances for the passengers a key characteristic of the KIA. With the use of a combination of the latest in construction technology and natural material, this terminal will establish a new vision for sustainable growth,” a KIA official said. According to him, the Terminal-2 has been built on four guiding principles — ‘Terminal in a Garden’, sustainability, technology and innovation, and art and culture of Karnataka.

”The T2 is an architectural wonder, which is a first-of-its kind ‘Terminal in a Garden’. It will have lush greenery within and outside and will be a visual delight like no other in the world. The passengers’ experience is designed to be a walk in the garden while traveling through the new terminal,” another KIA official said.

A big draw of Terminal-2 will be its ‘hanging garden’, according to him. The designers have also kept in mind the rich art and culture of Karnataka while designing the terminal, KIA officials said. ”The rich history and cultural heritage of Karnataka have been integrated into the design of T2 with focus on tradition, technology and contemporary facets.” ”The cultural diversity and unique art forms of Karnataka and South India will be showcased through the gardens, the dynamic environment and art installations,” an official said.