Pascall+Watson - Nice, France,

Date: 21 Jan 2010

MIPIM delegates to benefit from improved facilities at Nice Airport.

Visitors to Europe's largest commercial property event, MIPIM 2010, as well as numerous other events over the coming year, will see a buzz of activity as work gets well underway on the new €7m pier at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport's Terminal 2.

Designed by UK-based Pascall+Watson, Europe's largest aviation architects, working with local firm In Situ, the project is set to create much needed additional passenger capacity and accommodate the next generation of aircraft - including the Airbus A380 - on the French Riviera.

The project will increase access to helicopter transfers, bring more much-needed gate lounge capacity and accommodate new coaching facilities. It includes new layouts for commercial space and more facilities and queue areas for Departing and Arriving Passport Control so that the increased numbers of passengers arriving on larger aircraft can be smoothly accommodated.

Pascall+Watson and In Situ beat off fierce competition to win the project; their design was chosen because of the unique quality of its architectural response to the contextual and operational constraints of the airport. Its two main features are the bold overhanging roof element and the use of only two sky bridges to serve the planes rather than three as suggested by the programme, whilst still offering full operational flexibility.

The over hanging roof element starts as a wall and then opens up towards airside and the Mediterranean sea beyond providing passengers in the main departures lounge with advantages views and vistas.

The use of two sky bridges to serve three planes positions answers all the operational needs of the project whilst allowing further improvements to the passenger facilities by providing simple, direct access to generous, well lit volumes with stunning views of the Mediterranean.

The project is expected to be completed in May 2011 in time for the Cannes film festival and the Monaco Grand Prix.



The airport handles more than 3,100 flights per week and about 10 million passengers per year. The airport has a capacity of 12 million passengers per year.

Impression of the new airport design

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