Bird-Shaped Airport, Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov hailed his country’s “solid transit potential” as he unveiled an international airport (Bird-Shaped Airport) worth over $2 billion in the capital Ashgabat.
Courtesy of Polimeks construction
Turkmenistan has unveiled a gleaming new international airport with a roof in the shape of a flying falcon, according to the BBC. The design reportedly echoes the mascot of its national carrier.The five-floor airport is built in the shape of a giant bird – echoing the logo of the Central Asian state carrier Turkmenistan airlines – by Turkish Polimeks construction who won a USD 2 billion contract in 2013.
Courtesy of Polimeks construction
The $2.3 billion airport is located in Ashgabat, the capital, and has the capacity to process more than 1,600 passengers an hour. But few foreigners visit the isolated Central Asian country, known for its autocratic leadership and vast energy reserves. Just 105,000 tourists visited in 2015, government figures show, and it is difficult to get a visa.
Courtesy of Polimeks construction
President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov touted his country’s “solid transit potential.” Ashgabat boasts several other unique structures, including a publishing house in shape of an open book. The city also has two giant golden statues of both Mr. Berdymukhammedov and his late predecessor Saparmyrat Niyazov.
Project info:
Architects: Polimeks construction
Country: Turkmenistan, Ashgabat
Year: 2016
Photographs: Courtesy of Polimeks construction
Wingspan: 364,418 mm
Lenght: 40,026 mm
Height: 47,200 mm
Surface area : 23,250 m²
Bird head top elevation: 47.20 m
Isabelle Laurent is a Built Projects Editor at Arch2O, recognized for her editorial insight and passion for contemporary architecture. She holds a Master’s in Architectural Theory from École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville. Before joining Arch2O in 2016, she worked in a Paris-based architectural office and taught as a faculty adjunct at the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris. Isabelle focuses on curating projects around sustainability, adaptive reuse, and urban resilience. With a background in design and communication, she brings clarity to complex ideas and plays a key role in shaping Arch2O’s editorial