Madrid Airport: Everything T5 could have been... but isn't.

[Fab Foodie]

I'm known for my dislike of Heathrow T5. Despite all the furore when it opened reagarding it's design, I still think it's a buggers muddle, a poor airport and a crap shopping centre (it's the Whitgift centre with planes). The building's design is OK but IMO is not exceptional, neither unique or pleasing on the eye. Stanstead still does it better.
But Madrid's lovely. It's big, in fact the terminals are huuuuugely long. A simple repeating support structure for the roof's lovely curviness and wooden slatted finish which extends form inside to outside in a seamless fashion.

http://images.google.com/images?q=M...7&rlz=1I7GGLJ&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi

Lots of glass wallage to watch the aircraft. Wide boulevards with rapid exit from the 'shopping centre', nicely designed toilets that do not resemble a Turkish bath crossed with a sewer. Not just that, toilets are every where and easily located.
The ventilation ducts are nice, the signage is superb and there are even signs that thell you what eateries and shops can be found on your way to 'H' gates so you can leave the central melee safe in the knowledge that you can eat near your gate.
There's nobody selling you raffle tickets for cars that you can't fit a bike rack to.
Elevators and liftage are good and nicely designed and you get glimses of the 'Other-side' as you travel through.
Even when busy it has an atmosphere of calm.

I like it... a lot. How did we make such a balls-up of T5, did they not visit Madrid?

 

[JtB]

I remember all the hype before T5 was opened and when I finally used it for the first time I couldn't believe how pokey it was. Of all the airports I've used, Madrid Barajas is by far my favorite architecturally, a different league all together from the mundane T5.

 

[gbb]

Did a quick flight change at Madrid once....possibly the nicest airport i've been through. I was impressed by the toilets too funnily enough.
Very very impressive building...

 

[dellzeqq]

I'm impressed but confused. When I went to Madrid airport the signage was lousy, baggage was all over the shop, and the walk to the metro was about half a mile....sweet looking building, but that wasn't what I was thinking as I hauled the cases along...

 

[Fnaar]

Been there too... as airports go, it's lovely!

 

[Crankarm]

Not been to Madrid or had the pleasure of T5. But if it's British it's got to be sh1t. Just look at the Dome and the spotted monstrosity in Birmingham that looks like it's fallen off the set of an early crap Dr Who episode . Not flown for about 7 years, but if airports were to do it for me which they don't, it would have to be KL, Malaysia. I also like the provincial airport at Pau. The French seem to do large public buildings and projects so well.

 

[rich p]

I think it was Vienna airport that was a quiet one - none of that pinging and constant garbled announcements. Very pleasant and it's up to you to make sure you know where and when to get on your plane.

 

[monnet]

Thing is, didn't Norman Foster design Madrid airport?

There's a lesson in there somewhere.

The service they gave me when I explained the huge bag I had was my 'bici' was pretty special too (though surpassed, unsurprisingly, in Bilbao where I though the taxi driver was going to strap me to the roof in order to give the precious cargo sufficient room. The was a frosty silence between me and the bike that night but we made up on the Jaizkabel!)

 

[bad boy]

London City is announcement free and reasonably pleasant to spend time in. Glasgow though has a bar by the domestic departure gates so you can have a beer whilst waiting to board, so is the winner.

London City is great to fly from small hardly any ques decent restaurant and civilised.

I work in the big glass building opposite and my desk faces the runway literally, the BBC constantly uses our building for an airport scenes etc.

I quite like Dublin airport too but agree regarding Madrid it is special.

 

[andytheflyer]

I avoid LHR and LGW like the plague - perfect examples of outdated and underinvested cattle-processing factories.

Just (tonight) passed through Istanbul (airy, modern) and then Ankara (even more modern and airy) - started out at MAN - Ok, but a bit chaotic - although the new T1 is above average for the UK. Both of these Turkish airports leave LHR and LGW in the Middle Ages.......

To be fair, not tried T5 yet - but the effort of passing through all the other parts of LHR puts me off.

 

[Theseus]

Not been to T5 or Madrid to comment on them, but if we are putting together a list of top airports it needs to include Dubai and Vancouver.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I avoid LHR and LGW like the plague - perfect examples of outdated and underinvested cattle-processing factories.

Just (tonight) passed through Istanbul (airy, modern) and then Ankara (even more modern and airy) - started out at MAN - Ok, but a bit chaotic - although the new T1 is above average for the UK. Both of these Turkish airports leave LHR and LGW in the Middle Ages.......

To be fair, not tried T5 yet - but the effort of passing through all the other parts of LHR puts me off.

I'm in agreement.
In defense of T5 compared to the rest of H'row, at least it's readily accesible from the motorway... err, that's about the end of the defence case.

Other nations seem to know how to build pleasant airports, why don't we?

 

[Fnaar]

The new one in Hong Kong... (well, new when I went there a few yrs back)... I'd quite happily live there!

 

[zimzum42]

Asia just does airports better - Singapore, KL, Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai, all excellent airports, they make all the Heathrow terminals look like badly appointed sheds....

 

[threebikesmcginty]

they make all the Heathrow terminals look like badly appointed sheds....

Last time I flew out of Sweden it actually was from a badly appointed shed.