new schiphol pier in full glory

Photographer John Gundlach took a helicopter flight around the new Schiphol pier and got pretty close! The results show the pier under construction in full glory, with its massive scale and complexity. In a ‘bird’s-eye view’ a couple features and the latest developments:

unique & rare
At the new pier, aircrafts of different sizes and capacities will make use of the same gatehouse. Moreover, through these gatehouses, the pier will handle over twenty types of passenger flows for arrivals, departures and transfers within three different security regimes (in this case Schengen, Non-Schengen and Non-Schengen unscreened). This is unique for Schiphol, because it is not possible at any other pier at the airport. Worldwide it is rare, because it is not common at other airports either.

southwest gatehouses
The 400-meter-long pier will eventually have nine gatehouses, with a total of thirteen gates. Three large gatehouses can now be seen on the southwest side (photo 1). These are so-called MARS stands, which are each suitable for one large wide-body aircraft or two smaller narrow-body aircrafts at the same time. Later, two gatehouses will be added at the beginning of the pier (at the photo on the end). Each of these will be suitable for one wide-body aircraft or one narrow-body aircraft.

northeast gatehouses
Four gatehouses can be seen on the northeast side (photo 2). These are specific for narrow-body aircrafts. The gatehouse at the head (front of the photo) is suitable for two narrow-body aircrafts at the same time. The others are each suitable for one aircraft at a time.

façade sealing
The façade of the pier itself is now almost completely closed. And the gatehouse façades are also coming along pretty steady! The MARS stand at the head (front of photo 1) is progressing the most quickly: the insulated sandwich elements of timber sheets have already partly been placed and part of the glass has already been mounted as well. Consequently, the timber will be covered with profiled sheets and Alucobond. The gatehouses on the sunny southwest side will eventually have solar panels on the roof, which will contribute to the pier’s sustainability.

scale
As said, the new pier is over 400 meters long and that is quite large. To give an idea of its scale: the clearly visible red and white dotted line around the construction site is made up of sea containers! The new pier is undisputedly cepezed’s largest public project to date.