PROJECTS > Transportation > Sihanouk International Airport

Once a sleepy coastal town, the city of Sihanoukville is now a booming tourist destination of Cambodia. Formerly a serene beach destination for locals and tourists alike, it has recently transformed into an entertainment capital of the country. As the number of visitors and investors coming to the city has surged recently, there has been an imminent need to upgrade the existing airport terminal building in the city.

The Sihanouk International Airport or also known as KOS by its official airport code hosts an existing standalone building terminal of 2,700 square metres (29,063 square feet) since the year 2007. A new KOS airport terminal building has been in the pipeline to meet the growing number of passengers and increasing air traffic bound to this city.

Inspired by the national bird of Cambodia, the Grand Ibis, the image of its spread wings was chosen as the visual massing concept for the terminal layout design. While the intricate pattern of the traditional Cambodian textile, lboeuk, is embedded onto the multi-layered and pointed tiered roof form of the façade treatment, evoking the traditional Cambodian architecture.

To be developed in two phases, the new terminal building spreads over three floors with full-fledged facilities for domestic and international flights, also equipped with six piers handling aircraft at one time. The new terminal building is anticipated to handle up to 500,000 passengers per year, henceforth makes it the third busiest airport in Cambodia.