Melo International Airport

The project is part of a program to modernize port air terminals in the interior of the country, promoted by Aeropuertos del Uruguay with the aim of enhancing connectivity nationwide and offering a better user experience to travelers.

Based on the premise of revitalizing a pre-existing air terminal, built in the past century, the aim was to maximize the use of the interior space through specific adjustments that guarantee the functionality and dynamism required by a modern airport node. One of the main priorities was to adapt the building to the new demands of habitability, flexibility and functionality, essential characteristics of contemporary air terminals.

The design process prioritized the creation of new spaces and the reorganization of existing ones, so that the airport not only fulfills its operational role, but also provides an efficient and comfortable experience for both passengers and staff, ensuring a seamless experience for users and a harmonious integration with current logistical and technological systems.

The proposal was developed in two large blocks: on the one hand, the Fire Station area, and on the other, the Passengers Terminal. The first building is intended to be a residence for the firehouse operators and includes bedrooms, service areas, living room, dining room, gymnasium and offices. Access to the garage is connected through a roofed outdoor space, defining a clear and protected circulation. This space includes a workshop, warehouses and a storage area for the tanker truck to ensure the necessary operational conditions for emergency service.

The reconfiguration of the Passenger Terminal is organized into three distinct volumes, each of which responds to specific airport functions. The main volume has a double height and reformulates the use of the interior space through light partitions and glazed planes that define new access and exit circulations to and from the terminal. The first-floor houses service, technical and office spaces, while the mezzanine and the outdoor terrace were adapted for their use, providing greater capacity and flexibility.

The secondary volume, which is lower in height, is mainly used for technical offices and vehicle access control areas to allow vehicles to enter the platform. In between these two volumes is a restroom area, which connects one space with the other and delimits public and private uses.

Access to the airport terminal is located in front of the passenger terminal. This design ensures a fluid pedestrian vehicular circulation, facilitating access to both the terminal and other airport facilities.

The volume's façade materializes as a dialogue between the existing geometries and the new interventions, through the integration of contemporary architectural elements and traditional materials. Dark paint planes and white aluminum plate fronts were used, creating contrasts that add dynamism to the composition. The incorporation of dark-toned corrugated sheet metal and aluminum latticework responds to the need to aesthetically integrate the service areas, while the natural wood highlights, in plank format, provide a sense of warmth that contrasts with the metallic materials.

In addition to responding to an aesthetic criteria, the façade design optimizes the building's energy performance, contributing to greater thermal efficiency, enhanced by the implementation of an LED lighting system that significantly reduces the operating electrical load. The design also incorporates a sewage treatment plant with an artificial wetland that fulfills its ecological function of removing organic matter and nitrogen, while enriching the surrounding rural landscape. 

One of the main considerations in the development of the project was to offer the best accessibility conditions that the original building allowed, ensuring continuous circulation on the first floor for all users. The entrance and exit of the terminal have ramps that overcome the height differences, allowing a comfortable and accessible transit at that level.

Through the enhancement of an existing building and its intervention with contemporary criteria, the Melo International Airport is a key link in Uruguay's airport infrastructure, promoting the socioeconomic development of the region, reinforcing the country's connectivity and facilitating better integration of regional markets.