Barajas airport wins Stirling Prize

[guapo]

seems that Madrid's new Barajas airport building has won the prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize. News story from the BBC is here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6050836.stm).

There was another story in the Guardian today about past winners (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1922306,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=11). It seems that the buildings that the architects love are not always so perfect for the people who have to live or work in them. Hope that will not prove to be the case for Barajas.

[omeyas]

seems that Madrid's new Barajas airport building has won the prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize. News story from the BBC is here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6050836.stm).

There was another story in the Guardian today about past winners (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1922306,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=11). It seems that the buildings that the architects love are not always so perfect for the people who have to live or work in them. Hope that will not prove to be the case for Barajas.

Lets hope it's in a better state than when it first opened (http://www.20minutos.es/galeria/751/0/0/)! :) Have a look through these photos.

(http://www.20minutos.es/galeria/751/0/0/)

[richardksa]

In nine days time I get to go through the new terminal 4 building for the thrid time this year - and I am not looking forward to it. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it's wonderful design, but I do not appreciate that they opened the terminal with no easy access to the metro. It's a choice between taking a taxi at 22 euros or finding the free bus that will take you to the old terminals and the consequent route march to the metro. It's just a hassle with bags I can do without.

Ah! Before that there's the wait for the bags. From plane to the train that you have to take to get from the island to the terminal proper is a walk of fifteen minutes. The train a further five. That's given them twenty minutes to get the bags from the plane to the carousel. So why is there a further 20 to 30 minute wait for the bags to appear? Oh! And the lies. "Please smoke in the designated areas", announce the loud speakers, "It is against the law and you will be hung, drawn and the subject of an auto da fé". There are no desiganated places on arrival, which makes the long wait for one's bag twice as long.

On departure all us smokers hang about outside the terminal, get our last fix before going to checking and negociating the labyrinth of stairs, more stairs, train, more stairs to the departure lounge where there are three small spaces, miles from anywhere useful, for the lepers, er smokers.

It's not a place for people. It's a place to shunt cattle about. I prefered old terminal 3. And I wanted the German Science museum to win anyway!!!!

[ValenciaSon]

Well don't have a nicotine fit!:rolleyes:

[omeyas]

It's not a place for people. It's a place to shunt cattle about.

Yeh, but it looks nice! ;-) Sounds like they have concentrated on the looks, and not on the working of the place.

[Brian]

Yeh, but it looks nice! ;-) Sounds like they have concentrated on the looks, and not on the working of the place.

You know artists... form comes before function. ;D

[Marina]

The design is amazing, but it is much too big to be functional.
I agree with Richard that the worst bit is waiting for your lugagge, last time we were there for 1:30min waiting for ours to come out:(

Richard, remember that the free bus will take you to Avenida de America and you can get the metro from there.
I hope that they don't make you wait long this time!!!
Marina.

[celia s]

Darn,I missed the RIBA awards last night!!
It is about time that Richard Rogers was awarded the Stirling prize .......for his outstanding contribution to Architecture.
The new terminal is fantastic!!

[guapo]

but is it true that you need to allow two and a half hours to get there from Madrid?

[Marina]

For me the problem is not getting there, which does take a bit longer but really not that much. The worst problem is how long it takes to get out once you've landed. If you land in the satellite building could be easily 1 hour. :eek: Far to much for me!!!

[catavino]

I've not heard yet of one person having an easy time in this terminal. I took a flight from Jerez to madrid and it took forever just to get out of the terminal when I came back. Not to mention that the signs don't seem to point in the right directions. So I took more than one wrong turn. It may be bueatiful, but it's even more annoying. :mad:

[richardksa]

Are the problems with terminal four down to the design or the airport management? But that asked, the huge size of the terminal must create some headaches. It was probably designed with the needs of three or four times the numbers of passengers in mind. Certainly the number of carousels seem to point that way. So maybe some of the terminal should be fenced off, unused, until the facilities need to be increased. But for those arriving at the island there is far too much walking.
Does anyone know when the metro station will be opened?

[Marina]

The estimated date for the opening is May 2007, just in time for the Autonomic elections.

[gary]

I always found it strange that the only place you could smoke in barcelona airport was in the cafes!