First class: Baku’s new airport ensures everyone feels like a VIP

Autoban, the Istanbul design agency run by Seyhan Ozdemir and Sefer Caglar, was given a specific brief for the design of the newly completed international airport: all passengers should feel like VIPs and there should be no such thing as public space.

In order to achieve this, Autoban created large cocoon structures covered with latticework or oak veneer. The aim of these structures, which are dotted throughout the enormous 100-square metre space, is to capture a sense of privacy and peace. Constructed of natural materials, and at varying heights, they are placed among trees and custom-made furniture. The organic, garden-like aesthetic is designed to add a feeling of calm, pleasure and relaxation to the new international hub. They also work as markers, defining the different spaces in which passengers and visitors can rest, shop or play with children in specifically dedicated pods.

The striking visual aesthetic of Heydar Aliyev is another example of a luxurious airport experience. For more information on how airports are becoming a key part of a brand’s global expansion plans, see our Airport Retail market report.