International architectural firms are interested in designing the new passenger service complex at Riga International Airport

30/05/2018

Airport terminal Rail Baltica is approaching its design stage.


Five candidates – international architectural and engineering firms and associations have applied for the tender regarding design of a passenger service complex at Riga International Airport, whereas the possibility of designing the second part of this multimodal traffic hub – station “Rail Baltica” – is being pursued by two candidates selected by the tender commission.

World-famous airport architects want to design the new passenger terminal at Riga International Airport

In total, five candidates have applied for the international tender regarding design of a new multifunctional passenger service complex at Riga International Airport. Among them is the British architectural firm Zaha Hadid Architects, the founder and creative inspiration of which is Zaha Hadid, a prominent Iranian architect who passed away last year. She has created many world-famous buildings, and one of her latest achievements is the currently underway passenger terminal project at the largest international airport – Beijing Daxing International Airport.

An application has also been received from a consortium led by Nordic - Office of Architecture, an Oslo-based international architectural firm. This firm, in cooperation with its partners, has developed the design concept of Istanbul New Airport, the terminal project of Bergen Airport, the extension project of Oslo Airport and other architectural concepts for airport development. The consortium comprises Norwegian, French and Latvian companies.

AREP-SETEC-R, a joint venture company that has applied for the tender, is also cooperating with French and Latvian companies. AREP, a French transport and urban planning company, has developed projects for many transport hubs and railway stations worldwide, including the project for the extension of the second terminal of Nice Airport.

The leading company in Aecom RIX Terminal Expansion Joint Venture is the global corporation AECOM. The company has many outstanding projects, including Etihad towers in the United Arab Emirates, upgrading of Los Angeles International Airport, Kennedy International Airport development planning and others.

Association of suppliers ONE WORKS, SINTAGMA, VEKTORS brings together Italian and Latvian companies. Italian company Sintagma specializes in implementing transport infrastructure projects, while One Works has worked on the development and expansion projects of many airports, including the reconstruction project of Venco Marco Polo International Airport and the expansion concept of the passenger terminal at Brussels Charleroi Airport.

It is planned to develop a multimodal transport hub with an up-to-date passenger service centre

The expansion of the public section of the passenger terminal planned within the scope of stage 6 of the development of Riga International Airport will be a contemporary and multifunctional passenger service complex that is connected to railway station Rail Baltica. The complex will include a spacious and modern check-in hall and security control area, offering new shopping options, cafes and restaurants. The complex will also have a spacious luggage room and up-to-date luggage compartments.

Construction of the public section of the new passenger terminal is planned to be completed in 2022, along with Rail Baltica railway connection and station. Both of these objects will be interconnected to form a multimodal traffic centre. In order to ensure a coherent implementation of the two projects, Riga International Airport is also committed to monitoring the design and construction of airport station Rail Baltica.

“One of the main elements of every modern airport is the connection to a railway network, and the construction of Rail Baltica corresponds to the long-term development plan and vision of Riga International Airport,” says Tālis Linkaits, expert in the field of transport and member of the Board of Directors of Riga International Airport. He points out that Rail Baltica will allow to expand the range of potential passengers of Riga International Airport in the direction of both Lithuania and Estonia. Coupled with the airport service Park&Ride, the new connection will widen the ability for passengers to combine different types of transport. “Railway station Rail Baltica will strengthen the role of Riga International Airport as the main transport hub and improve Latvia's interconnectivity with other European Union countries. I hope that the construction of a railway connection between Riga centre and the Airport will revive the many areas along the railway so that the living space in the Baltic metropolis becomes more attractive for citizens and investors and is in line with the demands of the 21st century,” explains Linkaits.

The planned investment for the new multifunctional passenger service complex of Riga International Airport is 45 million euros.

Two companies will compete for the possibility to design station Rail Baltica at Riga International Airport

Two candidates have been nominated for stage 2 of the international tender “Construction Design of Rail Baltica's Riga International Airport Railway Station, Related Infrastructure and Viaduct”. The tender commission evaluated the applications of five candidates. Two candidates – AECOM INOCSA S.L.U and association of suppliers PROSIV – were recognized as meeting the requirements of the Rules of Tender: experience in developing equivalent construction projects that demonstrates the candidate's abilities and professional competences in the implementation of such projects.

The project is complicated and will introduce a new experience, as so far placing of a railway on a viaduct has not taken place in Latvia. One task is to design a station and also a railway connection that connects it to the Airport. It is the section from station Imanta, where the new railway will branch off towards the Airport, cross K. Ulmanis Street along the overpass, and reach the Airport through the viaduct. The railway station to be designed will be located opposite the new multifunctional passenger service complex of the Airport, which is to be connected at one altitude to the station.

Herald Ruijters, Director of Investment, Innovative and Sustainable Transport, DG Move, EU Commission, underscores: “The infrastructure of Rail Baltica will contribute to the creation of a completely new economic corridor. This will not only establish strong connections between the Baltic States but will also integrate the Baltic States into new European and global transport and supply chains. Without transport, the efficient operation of the EU economy is not possible, and this efficiency is significantly enhanced by combined traffic hubs – direct connections of airports with railways and ports. It is a basic principle for all countries to benefit from the fact that they have access to a well-developed core European transport network, thanks to which free flow of people and goods is possible.”

Candidates nominated for stage 2 of the Rail Baltica connection and station design tender shall, within 35 days from 23 November of this year, prepare and submit a technical and financial proposal in accordance with the requirements of the Rules of Stage 2 of the Tender, including technical specifications. The tender commission, consisting of representatives of joint venture RB Rail AS of all three Baltic States, Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas – the implementer of Rail Baltica in Latvia, as well as Riga International Airport, will evaluate the submitted proposals for design and author's supervisory work, as well as work performance timetable and building energy efficiency class.

It was already reported that, within the scope of the international tender “Construction Design of Rail Baltica's Riga International Airport Railway Station, Related Infrastructure and Viaduct” applications from five candidates from both Latvian and international companies and associations of suppliers were received: AECOM INOCSA S.L.U (Spain), association of suppliers Egis Rail (France, Lithuania), SIA Rem Pro (Latvia), association of suppliers SYSTRA S.A./COWI AS (France, Denmark) and association of suppliers PROSIV (Latvia, Slovakia, Italy).

The estimated contract price for the Rail Baltica airport station design work is 2.2 million EUR, and the work is to be completed within 17 months.



More information:

About the multifunctional
passenger service
complex of
Riga International Airport

Laura Karnīte
Head of Communications Unit
SJSC Riga International Airport
[email protected](JavaScript must be enabled in order to view email addresses.)
GSM: +371 29165007
T: +371 67207694
www.riga-airport.com

About the connection of
“Rail Baltica” with the Airport
and railway station


Rita Voronkova
Head of Public Relations of the Development and Cooperation Department
Eiropas Dzelzceļa Līnijas
GSM +371 29264403
www.edzl.lv