More Splendor and Awe at Delhi's New Airport Terminal 3

One of many traveletors

Splendor and awe: On July 31, 2010, while travelling from Heathrow to Kolkata, I landed at New Delhi's Terminal-3 as a transit passenger. I had a couple of hours in hand and decided to explore the facility. The new terminal was opened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 3 July but it became operational about a fortnight later. Prior to the  formal opening of the terminal, MSN had carried a story on the Terminal entitled: "Splendour and Awe at Delhi's New Airport Terminal 3", and on 25 June I  had uploaded a posting on the terminal in this blog. So I was more than curious to find out for myself what it looked like and was exceedingly happy to see that it is a truly world class facility but then I had expected no less. 

Same merchandise...same brands...across the globe

The construction team: Construction and management of the T3 is handled by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which is a private consortium of the GMR Group (50.1%), Fraport AG (10%), Malaysia Airports (10%), India Development Fund (3.9%) and the Airports Authority of India (26%). 


The architectural design is by US based architectural firm HOK, who have a few other world class terminals under their belt. HOK have now set up office in Mumbai to cater to Indian clients. To woo Indian clients HOK state at their website that they prepare Vastu compliant design (the Indian equivalent of Feng Shui). The structural design is by British consulting engineering firm Mott MacDonald who now have as many as five offices in five Indian cities. The construction is managed by EMAAR MGF of Dubai. That is formidable combination of talent and for that reason I had expected no less than a world class facility. 

Eighth largest terminal in the world: The airport is officially called Indira Gandhi International Airport. Terminal 3 is is the world's eighth largest terminal. It has a covered area of 502, 000 sqm and has a handling capacity of 34 million passengers per annum. It has a 7 level car park that can accommodate 4, 300 cars and is India's first fully automated multilevel car parking facility. It is designed to enable a driver to park her car in less than 5 minutes. All international airlines are using this terminal now and by the end of August all full service domestic airlines will also use this terminal. Though at this time it is clearly underutilized I'm sure given India's growth rate the traffic will increase soon. 

World class interior

World class interior: The interior is world class. It uses the same vitreous tile and granite as in every other major international terminal building. This gives it an international persona that has no particular national identity of its own; it could be located anywhere in the world and is suited to accommodate  the McDonald's, the Pizza Huts and the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's of the world. Instead of being located in Delhi, it could just as easily have been located in Chicago, Frankfurt or Kuala Lampur  and one wouldn't know the difference. I ask myself: is the world getting truly globalized? Here it definitely seemed so.


Vein attempt at Indianization: The only disturbing element in an otherwise functional and relaxed interior is the feeble and misplaced attempt at introducing certain Indian elements in the interior. Look at the dimly illuminated muted motif at top left of the above photo. This motif runs all across the terminal in an unsuccessful attempt to give it a unifying Indian identity. In my opinion, the attempt was best avoided. Not only it has failed to introduce the Indian element, which it was intended to do, but what is worse, it has become an aesthetic misfit. 

Structural concept - imaginative and elegant

Also, further down the side lanes, at the entry of toilette blocks, instead of the standard 'male' and 'female' forms on the doors that one is used to seeing in all public places, they have instead painted on the toilette doors large multicolored Indian male and female portraits (4-5' high) clad in various ethnic attires, some formal, some tribal, that exacerbate the mock attempt at Indianization, which in this particualar case borders on the ridiculous.  


Such attempt at Indianization is not genuine. Instead it appears as if it is  sub-planted at a much later stage. The attempt is weak and makes mockery of an otherwise functional architecture. I wish HOK had not fallen into the trap of unduly obliging some bureaucrat at the AIA or Civil Aviation Ministry who will have asked them to 'infuse' some Indian features into the design and HOK meekly responded by adding these Indian motifs and portraits that clearly appear out of place. This is my biggest negative take at this terminal's interior. Over the past six decades Indian administration have been obsessed with the idea of Indianizing all architecture regardless of the fact that certain functions and forms do not render themselves readily to meaningful Indianization.

W. H. Smith - as large as they come

Same merchandise... same brands:

Here you notice the same merchandise and same brands displayed at the same stores like any other international terminal in the world. There is no surprise here. You find Versace, Channel, L'Oreal, Black Label, W. H. Smith, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and every other international brand. Now Indians will be able to buy duty free goods upon their return and not have to lug them all the way across the seven seas. It is all available here. I said all, but not quite. For example, I needed a Flip Video camcorder but there was no Dixon or Best Buy here. But I guess those will also come one by one with time. Indians are probably big time book readers, at least that is what W. H. Smith figured out. They have this large store here and within a short walk from this store, on the same level, they have a second smaller store.

Bold sculptural forms

Bold features: The structural concept is bold, imaginative and elegant. Look at these columns; they have a unique shape and yet they serve the purpose well. Intermittently HOK have introduced bold sculptural forms as the one you see here around which there are those maroon colored cushioned seats that are contrasted beautifully against the blue molded seatings, all in the backdrop of a well chosen sandstone interior color. I guess the sandstone color was inspired by the architecture of Rajasthan. It has worked exceedingly well as it blends with the color of the floor-tiles making a huge uninterrupted  space from floor to ceiling that dispels any sense of claustrophobia that one used to get in the earlier Indira Gandhi Airport Terminal.

Big space

Big space... presently underutilized: The terminal is planned with the future in mind. the space is huge. At this time, it appears to be underutilized but then the terminal has started operation only days ago and not all carriers have moved into this terminal yet. Given the Indian growth rate that is currently the envy of the world, I have no doubt that this terminal will be fully utilized in the not too distant future. The signage in this terminal all across is state of the art except perhaps some of the flight arrival/ departure consoles that are, to my mind, a little too small. 


I have already talked about vein attempt at Indianization. Notice the metal sculpture of Buddha, (or is it of Nataraj, what is it, I'm not quite sure), in the middle of the above photo. Was it really necessary? Is it desirable to have such religious undertone in a secular state owned airport terminal? I think not.

Adequate natural lighting

Natural lighting: HOK has carefully  minimized the use of artificial lighting by drawing in the maximum amount of natural day light. On this particular day it was raining heavily outside and there was no sunshine yet the interior was well lit by diffused day light. This is probably one of the first major airport terminals in the country that is designed green, if not wholly, but substantially. 


Imported carpets and sheet glasses: The carpets are all imported and they blend very well with the interior magnifying the sense of space, which is already very large in real terms. One feels relaxed and comfortable inside the terminal and that is the surest sign of good design. 

26A - my departure lounge

Spacious departure lounge: Gone are the days of tight departure lounges. This one has large lounges that beat many international airports. HOK will have learnt from their past mistakes and brought in the best practices here. Kudos to them. 26A was my departure lounge. And, entry to the aircraft was via an aerobridge. This terminal has as many as 78 aerobridges and 92 traveloters! Hard to beat!


Underpaid cleaners: And, everything here is spotlessly clean, which is not a surprise given the fact that the facility is brand new. Nevertheless, I was reassured to find a very active cleaning crew that was relentlessly busy dusting, cleaning and polishing everything within sight, over and over again. So I chatted a bit with one of the cleaners. There were both male and female cleaners; the one near me whom I spoke with was male. I asked him two questions: 


One, was he directly employed by the Airports Authority of India? The answer was, No. He was employed instead by a private cleaning agency, which was on contract with AIA. Fair enough, this was a smart move. Two, how much did he make per month? The answer was 5,200/- per month plus one month's bonus in a given year, no provident fund, no medical benefits. I felt this was rather low. It barely matches the minimum wages for a daily wage laborer. Yet, who could deny that nonetheless it is good that the facility has generated so many employments. It is better to have a minimum wage job instead of remaining unemployed. As India's GDP grows and we have inclusive development, I'm sure the problem of low wages will slowly get resolved.


No electric sockets: I had a small disappointment here. While waiting at the departure lounge, I wanted to use my laptop that was low on battery and I needed a power socket but I couldn't find one (in that lounge) except a couple of low level outlets that my cleaner friend informed me were meant not for laptops but for vacuum cleaners. I wonder how HOK missed out on this detail. 


Finally: This, however, did not take anything away from the magnificent facility that has been created. For many years Indians have felt sadly dejected on their return from abroad as they entered the sub-standard airport terminals. That sense is gone now.