June_1965 — Page 15

Kuala Lumpur Air Terminal

Work on $M10 million building

nearing completion

OARING

S hyperbolic `paraboloid

shells repeated along the length of the passenger terminal building at Kuala Lumpur's new international airport give the structure a light, floating effect and put it among the most attractive buildings at any of the world's aviation stops.

Costing more than M$10 million, the building is now in its final stages of construction, It has facilities for handling an estimated 700,000 to 800,000 passengers a year and pro- vision is made for further expansion

of the building to handle up to 1,500,- 000 passengers a year.

The architects are Booty, Edwards and Partners, of Kuala Lumpur. Their design emphasises the build- ing's multi-purpose function to give:

Full separation of all international passengers from domestic passengers: Separation of passengers and their friends and relatives from the general public in order that they can carry on their own private conversation without interruption from other par- ties; and

600 ft. viewing gallery on the mezzanine floor.

Far East Architect & Builder June, 1965

Separation of passenger movement from baggage movement.

Segregation of arrivals and depar- tures will avoid congestion, a pro- blem which is now being experienced at the capital's existing airport at Sungei Besi.

Three Floors

Measuring 608 ft. long, 229 ft. wide and 55 ft. 6in. high, the fully air-conditioned terminal will have ac commodation on three floors.

Construction combines reinforced concrete floors and beams on piled foundations with Polaplen brand hy- perbolic paraboloid shell roofing pro- vided by Braby's (Malaysia) Ltd.

A basement floor contains police station, store rooms, Dower sub- station, canteen and а medical laboratory. A feature of this floor is an air-conditioned jail cell, pos- sibly the first in the world, to cater for international prisoners brought in for stop-over until channelled to the proper authorities.

On the main public concourse are airline offices and souvenir shops. The departure and arrival floor con- tains two VIP suites, all the ticket booking offices, a restaurant, im- migration and health offices and a spacious lobby.

Outgoing passengers will check in at the main counter and their luggage will be carried to the waiting planes by electrically powered conveyor belts. For incoming passengers there

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