Latest news with #BadgerysCreek
Condé Nast Traveler
a day ago
- Business
- Condé Nast Traveler
Sydney's New Airport Is a Stunning Ode to Australia's Natural Wonders
In 2026, Australia will open the doors to a newly built international airport for the first time in over 50 years—and it's so stunning you might actually want to spend hours in the terminal. Western Sydney International Airport (WSI), slated to debut next year, has just reached its most important milestone yet: Major construction on the terminal is now complete, and its designers have unveiled a first look at the airport's beautiful interior. WSI is located in Sydney's Badgerys Creek neighborhood, approximately a 35-minute drive west from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD), Australia's busiest air travel hub. Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and COX Architecture and constructed by Woods Bagot, Multiplex, and Bechtel, the $5.3 billion project aims to pay homage to Australia's natural wonders while also providing an innovative passenger experience. 'The ambition was to create an airport that is not just a transit space but a destination in itself,' Neil Hill, Wood Bagot's principal design lead for WSI, said. "The terminal offers a constantly evolving visual experience and sense of joy as passengers move through the space and experience the intricate detail at a human scale—while elsewhere you might find yourself in a soaring triple-height void with uncluttered panoramic views.' The airport has one terminal that will be home to both international and domestic gates, allowing for easier connections. Brett Boardman When it opens, Western Sydney Airport will operate 24 hours a day. The single building will be home to airlines like Qantas, Singapore Airlines, and Air New Zealand, with both the international and domestic gates located in one terminal for easier connections. Airports are notoriously known as incubators of stress, but WSI hopes new technology will help eliminate major pain points. For example, travelers will be able to track their checked luggage with a dedicated app thanks to a cutting-edge baggage handling system. The terminal's designers also sought to create a visually soothing space by taking architectural cues from nature. Most noteworthy is the undulating sculptural ceiling made of wooden slats that filter light in a way that mimics sunlight shining through eucalyptus bark, a hallmark of the region's UNESCO-recognized Blue Mountains Area. 'The 'Great Australian Light' is one of the defining qualities of the Australian experience, and it has been central to our design thinking,' David Holm, principal and design lead at COX, said. 'The way light filters through the terminal shapes how people move, orient and feel—creating a sense of calm, clarity and connection. For many, this space marks their very first encounter with Australia, and we wanted that experience to feel unmistakably grounded in place.' References to the region's natural wonders can also be found in the terminal's sprawling horizontal form, which is meant to reflect the nearby Cumberland Plain. Designers also worked to bring the outdoors to the terminal's interior by incorporating natural materials from the region, like sandstone sourced from Australia's Central Coast. The undulating ceiling is made of wooden slats designed to mimic the 'Great Australian Light,' imbuing the terminal with a sense of place. Trevor Mein Additional design elements include triple-height ceilings and walls of windows offering panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, as well as details that highlight Australia's Aboriginal and First Nations cultures. In fact, the design was finalized in consultation with Western Sydney's Dharug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation. "People will love spending time in this terminal as they enjoy the iconic vistas of the surrounding Blue Mountains,' Simon Hickey, CEO of WSI Airport, said. "Visitors will be welcomed by the stories of Dharug country that will connect the world with more than 60,000 years of Aboriginal culture while also highlighting the vibrant communities of Western Sydney.' From a sustainability perspective, the terminal is outfitted with more than 6,000 solar panels on its roof that will provide renewable electricity to the facility, as well as a climate-responsive facade, natural ventilation, and water recycling. Although the major construction on the terminal is finished, work on interior areas such as the retail shops and airline lounges still needs to be completed. The new facility is on track to open to its first passengers in late 2026. 'This is a rare opportunity to define the next generation of airport design on a global stage,' Cristiano Ceccato, director and design lead for Zaha Hadid Architects, said. 'Together with COX, we created a design that meets the highest standards of architectural innovation, passenger experience, and operational efficiency.'
Daily Telegraph
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Telegraph
NSW Budget: $835m for Aerotropolis infrastructure
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News. The biggest fire station in Western Sydney, upgraded roads and new stormwater infrastructure will be major headline acts in next week's NSW Budget, as the Minns government injects more than $835 million into infrastructure in the Aerotropolis to support the new Western Sydney Airport. The investment package will include more than $150 million for upgrades to local roads across the Aerotropolis. More than 1000 green direction signs will be installed across Sydney to direct traffic to the area, along with new traffic lights and signals at the Elizabeth Drive and Luddenham Road intersection. The money will also go to planning three key routes along Devonshire Road, Devonshire Link Road and the Bradfield Metro Link Road. The new money will bring the total allocated in the upcoming budget to Aerotropolis road projects over four years to $2.7 billion, which is jointly funded with the Federal government. Renders of the new Badgerys Creek fire station. Picture: supplied Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said the new road funding focused on the 'must-have priorities' to get the road network ready for the opening of the new airport. 'New and widened roads, intersections, safety upgrades – that will bust congestion in this growing area,' she said. The budget will also include $42.2 million to finish the Badgerys Creek fire station, which will be constructed on Adams Road in Luddenham, and will be the largest in Western Sydney when complete. The funding brings the total cost of the station to $57.6 million, including the recruiting of 52 new firefighters for the 24 hour station. The now completed Western Sydney International Airport Terminal. Picture: NewsWire Handout via WSIA Fire and Rescue NSW commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said the position of the new station is designed to allow crews to easily respond to fires at the new airport when it opens towards the end of next year. 'The fire station's proximity to the airport means it can immediately respond and support aviation firefighters in any emergency,' he said. 'It's also a reflection of our ongoing commitment to firefighter wellbeing through modern design and safety-focused infrastructure.' Jeremy Fewtrell, the Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner, said the position of the new station is designed to allow crews to easily respond to fires at the new airport when it opens towards the end of next year. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw Construction on the station will begin later this year, to be completed by the end of 2026. State-owned utility provider Sydney Water will also fund an additional $644 million in stormwater and recycled water infrastructure for the Aerotropolis, designed to service the 1,020-hectare Mamre Road industrial precinct, and kick-start water connections for 7,267 hectares of industrial land around the new Western Sydney Airport. Premier Chris Minns said enabling infrastructure in the Aerotropolis was critical. Photo: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard The funding will prioritise the building of naturalised channels and waterways instead of concrete pipes and drains in the area. It will also fund land acquisition for the development of new wetlands for the purposes of stormwater capture and harvesting. The $644 million was largely funded by infrastructure contribution fees paid by property developers with projects on the Mamre Road precinct. Premier Chris Minns said funding the enabling infrastructure was critical to unlocking 'the full potential of the Aerotropolis'. 'With billions of dollars now committed, we're not just talking about building a new airport—we're creating a connected, thriving region that will deliver jobs, homes and opportunity for generations to come,' he said.
RNZ News
11-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Western Sydney International Airport unveiled ahead of opening, Air NZ to use
By Isabella Ross , ABC Air New Zealand is just the second overseas carrier to confirm it will fly into Western Sydney International Airport. Photo: ABC / Supplied / Multiplex Despite Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) being close to completion, two obstacles remain, including just how many airline carriers are willing to fly into the precinct, 44 kilometres from the city's CBD. Major construction is now complete, with the terminal at Badgerys Creek unveiled on Wednesday. WSI chief executive Simon Hickey said the "24-hour international gateway" terminal would create "significant economic opportunities for all of Greater Sydney". The airport itself is on track to open for domestic, international, and air cargo services in late 2026, though clarity on addressing the key drawbacks remain up in the air. So far, only four airlines have confirmed their plans to operate out of WSI - two of those being Australia's Qantas and Jetstar. The third, Singapore Airlines, announced their intention back in August 2024, and the fourth, Air New Zealand, was announced on Wednesday by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. At Sydney Airport in Mascot, more than 50 airlines fly in and out, the vast majority being overseas carriers. Hickey previously said conversations with multiple other airlines had taken place, but he would not be drawn on any finalities. "We are gathering momentum each passing day," he said at WSI's unveiling. Indian media reported "discussions" had occurred with IndiGo and Air India, with Destination NSW's country manager for India saying an airport in Western Sydney would be ideal for "a lot of the Indian community". A delayed Western Sydney Airport Metro Line is likely a thorn in the side of WSI's grand plans. The first tracks have been laid on this Metro line, but visitors to WSI won't be able to use this service until at least April 2027, as per Sydney Metro's annual report. "Major projects like these are inherently complex and this project has faced impacts due to industrial relations and supply chain disruption," a Sydney Metro spokesperson said. Despite a delayed Metro line and a limit of confirmed airline carriers, the A$5.3 billion (NZ$ 5.7b) investment in the airport's build is visible. As Australia's first new greenfield international airport in more than 50 years, WSI's design is sustainability-focused, according to the architects behind the project. More than 6000 solar panels are affixed to its roof to provide energy efficiency and renewable electricity in a bid to reduce the airport's carbon footprint. Collected rainfall on-site will also be recycled for use in the airport's bathrooms, irrigation systems and cooling towers. Hickey said the design had taken inspiration from "iconic vistas" around Western and Greater Sydney, including the Blue Mountains, and sandstone materials also sourced from the Central Coast. With construction mostly finalised, the fit-out of the terminal's retail precinct and airline lounges will take place closer to the airport's opening, said a WSI spokesperson, with commercial tenders contracts still to be finalised. When asked by 702 ABC Radio Sydney if WSI would be the most "Instagrammable terminal in Australia", he agreed. "It's an exciting day for Western Sydney," he said. -ABC
