WIN woodworking INTERNATIONAL 2023/1

SUSTAINABILITY
Nature and technology in an ideal combination
At Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, India, specially developed bamboo products from MOSO ® contribute
significantly to the overall concept, which is inspired by nature and sustainable
In November 2022, the doors of the new
Kempegowda International Airport Terminal 2
in Bengaluru, India, opened to the first travelers.
Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
(SOM), the terminal reflects India’s third largest
city, known as a “garden city” and capital of
technological innovation. Visitors here experience
nature everywhere in and around the terminal.
Both the interior and exterior ceilings and
columns feature innovative bamboo products
developed by the Dutch manufacturer Moso
International BV. In the end, the total volume of
bamboo products delivered comprised 150 pieces
of 40ft high cube containers, which is equivalent
to about 1,000,000 length meters of round
bamboo tubes. This makes the order one of the
largest projects worldwide in the more than 25-
year history of MOSO ® . The natural, rapidly regrowing
resource was processed using modern
techniques into a round tube which, installed
in a Lindner SE assembly system, meets all the
requirements for an airport with an expected
65 million visitors per year from 2025.
An airport like a landscape
The designs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
LLP (SOM), one of the world’s leading architecture,
interior design, engineering and urban
planning firms, speak for themselves: the
inspiration for the design of Kempegowda
International Airport Terminal 2 in Bengaluru
lies in nature. No matter through which entrance
visitors approach the terminal, their
senses are immediately stimulated by elements
of nature. Plants and a waterfall create the illusion
of walking through a forest and help purify
the air. Materials that emphasize natural landscapes
have been used throughout the terminal:
The walls are made of bricks, the floors are covered
with natural terrazzo and the ceiling is covered
with bamboo.
“Terminal 2 will stand apart from every other
airport in the world, the orchestration of every
component – both natural and man-made
– creates a passenger experience that we hope
will set a precedent for the future of airport design.”
said Peter Lefkovits, Design Principal at
SOM.
Specially made bamboo tubes with
minimum tolerances
When MOSO ® was asked to supply bamboo
stems for the airport project in India at the beginning
of 2017, it quickly became clear to the
company that very high requirements were imposed
on the durability and safety of the material.
Considering the amount of material and
the fact that the bamboo stems were to be used
for the ceiling, the team of experts at MOSO ®
set about developing an alternative for the raw
bamboo stems. This is because natural bamboo
stems never have the same shape or quality and
crack due to temperature and humidity fluctuations
– a characteristic that makes it impossible
to achieve the required fire protection and durability
class without further processing of the
material.
After an extensive research and development
process, MOSO ® developed laminated
bamboo tubes in cooperation with partner
factories in China, which the bamboo specialist
recommended to planners instead of raw
stems. The bamboo tubes are made from bamboo
strips that are laminated into solid and hol-
low tubes in specially developed presses. In this
way, tailor-made tubes with minimal tolerances
are created. In the production process, the
bamboo tubes are treated with innovative techniques
to ensure they meet sustainability and
safety requirements. As a partner for the in-
28 No. 1 • March 2023