An airport that looks nothing like an airport

How the award-winning terminal in Szymany softens sound, enhances wellbeing and reflects the beauty of Masuria.

Olsztyn-Mazury Airport Terminal Design | Case Studies

The terminal lounge at Olsztyn-Mazury Airport, where Rockfon Color-all in Stone fits around the exposed solid wood beams beneath floor-to-ceiling windows.

A region worth arriving in

Olsztyn-Mazury Airport sits in Szymany, in the heart of the Masurian lake district in northeastern Poland. A landscape of thousands of lakes, dense forests, wooden houses and wildlife. One of the most distinctive natural regions in the country.

Architect Tomasz Lella of Pantel Studio had a clear ambition for the 6,800m² terminal: make it feel like it belongs here.

"We wanted the passengers who come here to see something else. Almost all airports in the world are similar in form. We hope that it will be different in Szymany, and will be associated with the local landscape," said Lella.

The design draws on local motifs throughout: wave-like ceiling forms referencing the lakes, natural wood recalling the traditional houses of the region, and a calm, natural palette.

But bringing that vision to life in a busy transit space came with a real acoustic challenge.

A busy terminal with a wave-like ceiling

Airports generate significant reverberation. Hard floors, glass facades, high ceilings and constant passenger traffic all reflect sound freely. For a terminal handling domestic, international and charter routes, controlling that noise is essential for passenger and staff comfort as well as announcement clarity.

The ceiling was the primary opportunity to address it. But the wave-like geometry of the design meant a standard flat installation wasn't an option. The acoustic solution had to follow the angles of the ceiling, remain visible alongside the exposed roof structure, and fit the natural, muted character of the space.

Getting all three right at once required the right product in the right colour.

Project info

Project name

Olsztyn-Mazury Airport Terminal

Location

Szymany, Poland

Architecture

Tomasz Lella - Pantel Studio

Photography

Bartosz Makowski

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Products used

Rockfon Color-all®

View

The terminal building, its angled roofline reflecting the wave-like landscape of the Masurian lake district.

The terminal departures entrance from the outside.

Stone grey across 6,800m²

Lella specified Rockfon Color-all in Stone, a neutral light grey that sits naturally alongside the wood tones and natural materials throughout the terminal. The matte surface complements the exposed roof structure and reflects the character of the Masurian landscape.

"Thanks to the appropriate size of the panels and the chosen light grey stone colour, we obtained a homogeneous, matte surface with the exposed construction of the roof," said Lella.

The 1200x600mm tiles follow the wave-like geometry of the ceiling while the exposed roof structure remains visible above them. The combination of natural wood, white and grey creates a calm, welcoming atmosphere throughout the terminal, exactly the sense of place Lella set out to create.

The check-in halll. Rockfon Color-all in Stone absorbing sound to keep speech intelligible for staff and passengers at the desks.

The entrance from inside, showing the high ceiling and hard floor tiles.

Rockfon Color-all in Stone installed around the exposed wooden beams, reflecting and diffusing natural light across the terminal while absorbing sound above.

Winner out of 65

The design won the national competition for Poland's architectural development of the passenger terminal, selected from 65 entries. The jury recognised it specifically for how precisely it reflected the natural environment and cultural landscape of the Masurian region.

Also designing a public space where the acoustic ceiling needs to carry the design concept, and go beyond solving a technical problem? Get in touch, and together we'll find the right colour and format for your project.