Terminal for space flights in New Mexico by Norman Foster

Today, the first private terminal for space flights will be ceremonially opened in the parched desert of the American state of New Mexico. The terminal 'Spaceport America' is part of a bold project by the British company Virgin Galactic, offering wealthy tourists and scientific missions trips to the stratosphere. The hangar with the check-in area was designed by London architect Norman Foster, who won an international competition four years ago with his organically shaped building. Virgin Galactic plans to launch commercial suborbital flights within a year of the terminal's opening. The low, partially buried structure resembles a manta ray gently hovering over the desert landscape. The building is partially embedded in the terrain to protect it from the climatic extremes of the American Southwest. Fresh westerly winds are used for ventilation. Skylights make the most of natural daylight. The spaceport aims to use local materials as much as possible and adhere to strict rules for sustainable construction practices. However, all the ecological efforts of the architects will be overshadowed by the carbon footprint of the very first space flight from 'Spaceport America'.

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