The Ilan and Asaf Ramon International Airport by Amir Mann-Ami Shinar Architects & Moshe Zur Architects

The Ilan and Asaf Ramon International Airport, designed collaboratively by Amir Mann-Ami Architects & Planners and Moshe Zur Architects, marks a landmark achievement in Israel’s aviation infrastructure. Located in Timna, near the Red Sea resort city of Eilat, this project represents Israel’s first civil airport constructed entirely from scratch — a true “greenfield” project. Commissioned by the Israel Airport Authority (IAA), the airport was managed from inception to completion by the architects, who assumed full Design Management responsibilities, including the coordination of program, budget, and construction schedule. This comprehensive involvement allowed the architects to implement a singular, holistic vision across the entire airport, encompassing not only buildings but also interiors, furnishings, and site design.

The airport serves both domestic and international flights, functioning as a gateway to the southernmost tip of Israel. With a 45,000-square-meter Passenger Terminal Building, a 3,600-meter runway and taxiway, 40 aprons, and two support structures totaling 36,210 square meters, alongside a 45-meter-high Air Control Tower, the airport integrates both operational efficiency and architectural innovation. It exemplifies a seamless marriage of aviation technology, human-scale spatial design, and environmental sensitivity.

Design Inspiration: Nature, Desert, and Form

The airport’s design language is deliberately minimal and futuristic, yet rooted in the natural and cultural context of its desert surroundings. The architects drew inspiration from the mushroom-like rock formations of Israel’s Timna Park, whose sculptural geometry and self-shading qualities informed the terminal’s initial volumetric concept. Just as the rocks have been shaped over millennia by wind and water, the terminal’s opaque mass was carved in response to the natural movements of passenger flows, creating a volume that balances both functional circulation and climatic performance.

Unlike conventional airports that rely heavily on skylights, the architects introduced patios and open-air courtyards within the terminal, which serve as light wells, bringing sunlight deep into the building while mitigating harsh desert glare. These courtyards also allow the desert landscape to extend into the terminal, providing travelers with a subtle but constant connection to the surrounding environment.

Materiality and Structural Expression

The terminal’s envelope merges a steel and concrete skeleton with a continuous cladding of triangular aluminum panels, extending seamlessly from the walls to the roof, creating a monolithic yet sculptural presence in the desert. Internally, the building is clad in bamboo-wood, unifying walls and ceilings to foster a warm, continuous interior space. This juxtaposition of cool, industrial exterior and natural, tactile interior creates a spatial experience that is simultaneously futuristic and grounded.

Within the terminal, a minimalist interior scheme organizes high-ceilinged halls with low-level furniture and freestanding pavilion dividers. All infrastructure is housed beneath the main floor, allowing the roof to function as a fifth façade, visible from arriving aircraft and free from technical clutter. This approach reinforces both functional efficiency — all passenger processes occur on a single level — and aesthetic purity, ensuring that the building maintains a clean and sculptural presence from above.

Spatial Planning and Passenger Experience

The Passenger Terminal was meticulously planned to optimize passenger circulation while fostering a sense of openness and connection to the environment. The main hall is designed with a clear organizational hierarchy, where ticketing, security, and boarding processes are logically sequenced to enhance wayfinding. Deep cantilevered roofs and shaded courtyards form semi-outdoor transitional spaces, creating zones of respite and informal gathering that allow passengers to experience the desert climate without discomfort.

By integrating natural light, interior landscaping, and visual corridors, the architects enhanced the sense of scale and orientation for travelers. Patios and courtyards provide glimpses of the desert beyond, while carefully calibrated glazing ensures thermal comfort while avoiding excessive heat gain. The design thus prioritizes both human comfort and energy efficiency, a crucial consideration in extreme climates.

Landscape Integration and Ecological Sensitivity

The airport’s landscape design reflects the desert’s natural geomorphology. The layout of parking areas, pedestrian paths, and service zones follows the contours of the ancient river delta fan, formed by mountain runoff. This approach not only creates visually pleasing, organically flowing spaces but also reinforces environmental sustainability by respecting existing terrain and drainage patterns.

Local plant species were carefully preserved and propagated in greenhouses during construction, then reintroduced to the site to restore and enrich native desert vegetation. This strategy ensures biodiversity, site-specific authenticity, and ecological continuity, while visually linking the airport to the surrounding natural landscape. Native trees, shrubs, and grasses were planted to create a desert-adapted landscape that stabilizes soils, provides shade, and enhances passenger experience.

A Holistic Approach to Design Management

One of the defining characteristics of the Ilan and Asaf Ramon International Airport is the architects’ role as design managers, which allowed a cohesive architectural vision to be maintained throughout every component of the project. From the macro — building placement, runway alignment, and site grading — to the micro — individual check-in counters and signage — the architects ensured that a consistent aesthetic and functional language permeates the entire airport.

This comprehensive approach also allowed for cost efficiency, construction precision, and adherence to programmatic requirements, demonstrating how design management can elevate the quality of large-scale infrastructure projects. The airport’s architectural clarity, operational logic, and sensitivity to both human and environmental factors exemplify a new standard for desert airport design worldwide.

Conclusion: A Gateway that Connects People and Place

The Ilan and Asaf Ramon International Airport is more than a functional aviation facility. It is a desert gateway that bridges modern infrastructure, natural heritage, and passenger experience. By combining minimalist design, ecological landscape integration, and careful spatial planning, Amir Mann-Ami Architects and Moshe Zur Architects have created a world-class airport that is visually striking, environmentally responsive, and profoundly connected to its site.

From the mushroom-inspired terminal mass to the bamboo-wood interiors, shaded courtyards, and naturalistic landscape, the project embodies a holistic design philosophy that integrates architecture, engineering, and ecology. It stands as a model for future airports in challenging climates — demonstrating that large-scale infrastructure can be simultaneously efficient, beautiful, and respectful of both its users and its environment.

Photography: Hufton + Crow