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A landmark tower that reconciles operational precision with landscape continuity and urban balance
Value Delivered
Project Overview
In 2018, 1PAX was awarded third prize in the international competition for the new control tower and office complex at Riga International Airport (RIX). Commissioned by Riga International Airport, the project proposed a comprehensive architectural and territorial vision for a strategic infrastructure serving an airport with a capacity of 7 million passengers annually. Beyond the tower itself, the proposal addressed the broader airport landscape, positioning the building as a new visual and operational landmark.
Key Challenge
The challenge was to design a highly technical and secure facility while ensuring meaningful integration within its surrounding environment. The project needed to reconcile strict operational requirements of air traffic control with issues of landscape balance, mobility, parking, and the relationship between built and unbuilt areas. At the same time, the new tower had to assert a strong identity without disrupting the existing airport fabric.
Our Approach
1PAX developed a global vision in which architecture, landscape, and urbanism operate as a single system. The proposal rebalanced built and open spaces across the site, integrating soft mobility connections alongside parking and service access for the tower’s controlled environment.
Architecturally, the design established continuity between the existing building and the new tower, treating the former as the starting point of the technical base. Existing alignments and rhythms were preserved, gradually transforming into contemporary architectural “ribbons.” These fluid forms slide over a landscaped base—concealing technical spaces—before rising vertically to wrap the control cabin and its associated functions. The interaction between architecture and nature was central, creating a dynamic dialogue between the tower, the terrain, and the sky.
