Tuscany is set to transform its international airport into an homage to the region’s winemaking traditions. New designs by US studio Rafael Viñoly Architects reveal a comprehensive renovation, with a re-oriented runway and a rooftop vineyard causing a stir.
Florence and beyond
Florence Airport (FLR) sits 8 km (five miles) from Florence city centre. Having welcomed over three million passengers in 2023, the remodelled airport will have an annual capacity of over 5.9 million, showing the strength of Tuscany’s ambitions for its tourist offer.
At present, many visitors fly into Florence, the region’s capital, and stay there, breathing in the city’s art, architectural treasures and romantic Renaissance vibe. But how many arrivals venture out of the city during their city break?
Putting a vineyard on top of the airport, literally foregrounding the region’s winemaking at the airport itself, is part of a wider strategy to make arrivals curious to venture beyond Florence, deeper out into the Tuscan hillsides where world-famous wines like Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino are born, spreading footfall and their tourist coin.
In numbers
If the strategy works, increasing tourist numbers will mean increased flights. The new runway will allow more flights to operate from the airport, while turning the existing runway 90 degrees removes restrictions due to nearby high ground and better aligns with the needs of modern aircraft. A new light rail system will be integrated to improve multimodal transport links. Surrounding the airport will be seven new parks, retail, and student housing.
The 50,000-square-metre terminal (538,000-square-foot) will feature a large piazza, which the architects say will contribute to good passenger flow. Roof windows will bathe the terminal in light slanting in between the rows of 38 vines planted in the 19-acre vineyard sitting above. The unique green roof will slope gently, blending with a vista of distant hillsides, making the airport no longer an eyesore but something attractive to spot when viewed from the ancient city it serves.
Crafted and aged on-site
For those wondering what will happen to the fruit of the vine, the grapes produced at the vineyard will be processed on-site, harvested by “a leading vintner from the region, and crafted and aged in specialised cellars beneath the terminal’s roof,” said a Rafael Viñoly spokesperson.
Phase one of the airport development is due to complete in 2026, but work on phase two is projected to go on until 2035.
