Preparing for take-off - designing the new terminal buildings at Madrid Barajas Airport, Spain

Winning international competitions was just the beginning of a demanding project to turn an iconic concept into reality. Political pressure and
an unfamiliar construction industry environment combined to transform an unusual design project into an unforgettable experience. This paper
describes the structural design development of these award-winning terminal buildings and the constraints that shaped this process.

John Veale, BA, MSc, DIC, CEng, MICE
Principal Engineer, TPS

Les Postawa, IEng, AMIStructE
Director, Thornton Tomasetti Postawa de Hoog