Centralny Port Komunikacyjny contracts architects for new central Polish airport
Polish state-owned Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) has selected a Master Architect for a project to create one of Europe's largest airports.
The airport, located between Łódź and Warsaw and called Solidarność (Solidarity Transport Hub Poland), will be able to handle up to 40 million passengers, with the number expected to increase to 65 million in the future. A consortium led by Foster + Partners will design the passenger terminal building, railway station, and public transport interchange.
The contract, worth approximately EUR 150 million, was awarded to a consortium of Foster + Partners and Buro Happold Limited following a competitive tender process. Their task will be to create an airport fully integrated with a high-speed rail hub. The British studio won the tender over competitors such as Zaha Hadid Architects and Gerkan, Marg und Partner.
One of the main assumptions of the terminal will be its modularity and possible expandability, which should enable the airport to reach the 65 million passenger mark in 2060. For the time being, the opening is expected for 2027 with a 40 million passenger capacity. In the tender, Foster + Partners presented a concept highlighting greenery and natural light in a functional plaza connecting the three modes of transport: air, rail, and road.
The CPK will be located in Baranów, about 40 kilometers southwest of the Polish capital. The project will include an extensive network of mainly high-speed railway lines, totaling nearly 2,000 kilometers. LOT Polish Airlines will base at the airport, having previously stated there is no potential for further development at Warsaw Chopin Airport.
The estimated cost of building the airport is around EUR 8 billion, with the entire CPK project calculated at around EUR 50 billion. The state-owned company plans to obtain part of the funds from private investors. Budimex, Poland’s largest construction group, has already expressed interest in co-financing. The first construction work is expected to begin in the middle of 2023.
Edited and translated by Lucie Trávníčková