The recent addition of ‘Tiger Wings’ 30-feet high, 60-feet vertical garden with two walls, each 80 feet, adds to the already enhanced architectural wonder of terminal two of the city’s bustling airport. The vertical garden houses more than 15,000 plants of 153 unique species —many native to Karnataka and the Western Ghats.
The project was designed in collaboration with Patrick Blanc, a globally recognised botanist affiliated with the French National Centre for Scientific Research. At the unveiling, he spoke about how he visited several forests in the Western Ghats, selecting rare plant species from these diverse ecosystems to ensure that the wall features species native to the region.
“Tiger Wings is the realisation of a dream where nature and architecture coexist seamlessly. By employing specialised felt layers, we create an environment where plants thrive, just as they would in nature’s crevices. This project transcends merely enhancing the visual landscape of the airport; it transforms the travel experience, rejuvenates the environment, and preserves the rich tapestry of the natural world that surrounds us,” he said.
Hari Marar, MD of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), notes: “We’re not just creating an airport; we’re crafting an experience that reconnects humans with nature.”
Botanical Marvel
Terminal 2 is a botanical engineering marvel. The garden uses high-tech hydroponic technology, utilizing special felt from Germany to provide an environment for plants to grow without traditional soil. This soilless system imitates nature and supports plant life in densely populated, vertical columns with little human interaction. Strategically placed asparagus plants outline the contours of aeroplane wings, and regular arrays of colourful Ixora flowers in shades of red, orange, yellow and white echo a tiger’s unique stripe patterns.
The intent of the terminal design and architecture is also to provide cleaner air with higher oxygen content. The hydroponic approach allows for a diverse array of plant species to coexist in a compact vertical space, creating a thriving ecosystem that enhances air quality and contributes to a cooler, more pleasant environment. More than a visual spectacle, ‘Tiger Wings’ serves an educational purpose – displays about local ecosystems, and fosters environmental awareness and appreciation for biodiversity.
The Kempegowda International Airport’s terminal two opened in January 2023. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), it is a mammoth 255,000 square meters (or 47 football fields). It was designed as a “terminal in a garden”. Peter Lefkovits of SOM had said that the terminal pays homage to Bengaluru’s “garden city” heritage. He explains, “The idea was to radically reimagine the travel experience by connecting passengers to nature along each step of their journey.”
The terminal makes use of locally sourced materials including ivory brown granite, umber red bricks, and traditionally woven rattan. The ceiling, made of layers of cross-laid engineered bamboo, filters light much like a garden pavilion. As a highly renewable and sustainable material, bamboo’s structural integrity reduced the amount of secondary support required, while also complementing the beauty of the garden concept. Together, the combination of natural materials, landscaping, and layering of bamboo has created a colour palette reminiscent of a garden.
