Revisiting KLIA

Manila, Philippines—“Dad! This is the future!”

I remember how my son Martin’s eyes glowed as they panned the walls that enclosed the cavernous space of the terminal. We had just disembarked from our flight. He became even more ecstatic when he saw the sky train glide in to pick up passengers from the satellite arrival hall we had come into. My son was only about 6 or 7 years old then, and the vastness of the space, the novel forms and non-colors of this terminal were reminiscent of the sci-fi films he’d watched. Yes, it looked like the future, and we were in it.

When it first opened its gates in June 1998, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport was eagerly anticipated, both by those excited to see this huge facility unveiled, and by a number of detractors who thought it was too ambitious a vision for a country with a small population and a trade volume that hadn’t quite hit the status of Singapore and Hong Kong. Many thought it was overbuilt and would only be a white elephant. I myself was wondering, what in heaven’s name were they going to do with such a huge amount of floor area, and so many boarding gates!

At that time, Kuala Lumpur had a population of close to 1.8 million (that’s not even a fourth of what Metro Manila is today). It did not seem to me like the numbers matched the size of their airport. Hong Kong had a population of 5.6 million, and Singapore had 3.1 million, and they both were—and still are—major financial hubs. I wasn’t sure where KL stood in all this.

Several phases

But KLIA was planned to be the largest airport in Southeast Asia, sitting on 10,000 hectares of land that has been masterplanned into several phases, in anticipation of Malaysia’s growth into a tiger economy. They say that KLIA was built to outdo Singapore’s Changi airport in being the choice airport of the region. And to stress its point, it even has Asia’s tallest air traffic control tower!

I was back in KL recently and flew in via Singapore and swung by Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 which opened in 2008. Hands down, Malaysia’s KLIA looked a lot better! Thanks to its architect—the renowned Kisho Kurokawa—a multiawarded Japanese architect with projects around the world. Kurokawa had practiced the concepts of eco-minded and sustainable architecture way before everyone got sensitive about the environment. He also practiced the integration of Asian design and architecture into contemporary or modern environments. Not surprising then that his design for KLIA showed such an infusion of nature into this man-made structure.

What I like very much about the terminal is how the structures appear to be clustered when experienced from within. When I mean structures, I’m not referring to their individual main and satellite terminals but rather, the configuration of the masses within each terminal that make them appear less massive. Between these clusters are pockets of little “forests,” a feature integral to the concept of the airport, made visible through the generously glazed walls and skyroofs.

It’s a stark contrast to many other large airports where all one sees from inside are either walls or views of the tarmac. One “forest” even features a Jungle Boardwalk, a path that weaves through this gathering of hardwood trees and gives the traveler a break from the airconditioning and the shopping, and instead presents a the tropical forest experience firsthand.

Openness, sparseness of spaces

When I first saw KLIA many years back, I thought it was a Norman Foster design. But realizing that Kurokawa designed it, rationalized the openness and sparseness of the spaces. Kurosawa’s design concepts always seemed so ephemeral and abstract, it was hard to imagine what his structures looked like based on his philosophies. But here, all his concepts have concretized into a building whose forms and spaces give off modernity and grace.

Large pillars appear to hold the structure down to the ground. Its metal cladding, glazed walls and granite floors are enveloped by a graceful curved ceiling that adds warmth to what many would perceive as a cold interior. And again, through the vastness of its spaces and the wide spans of its roof, one can look across to see the sky and the trees.

After many years in operation, KLIA has proven its worth. The previous Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr. Mohamad commented that “KLIA is not just an airport. It is a piece of art, dedicated to beauty as well as the environment. It relates to the greenness and the forests of Malaysia, both inside and outside.” Today, it’s quite a busy airport that still enthralls its guests with its large glazed walls, skyroof and hardwood trees. It’s a building whose time has finally come.