New Florence airport terminal to feature vineyard on roof

It was announced in January that Florence’s Amerigo Vespucci airport will get a new international terminal, the design of which features a vineyard on its inclined roof.  

The vineyard roof is part of the airport’s environmental design, but also resembles the iconic landscape of Tuscany, which is a world-famous wine-producing region, and Florence is its capital.

Furthermore, the inclined roof is designed to feature a soil berm on the first third of its length from the ground up, which is also meant to serve as a heat transfer/insulation layer.

According to CNN, solar panels are also going to be woven within the structure, including parts between the vines on the roof.

It is worth mentioning that it has been decided to use non-fruit-producing vines on top of the roof itself, as foreign objects could potentially reach airplane engines and pose a safety hazard.

However, 38 rows of grape producing vines will be planted in the berm area, which is at least 500 meters away from the nearest aircraft, meaning that the produce will not be largely affected by any pollutants.

Wine is scheduled to be crafted within the airport, as the design is said to have incorporated a winery under the vineyard-roof.

Finally, the project will be LEED platinum certified, while its first phase is expected to be delivered in 2026 and the second phase in 2035.