News: London architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) have been appointed to design a new terminal at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport at Lyon in France.

The terminal will double the size of the airport, which is one of two that serve France's second-biggest city, and increase capacity from 10 to 15 million passengers per year by 2020.

RSHP were asked to design a terminal that "didn't detract from" Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava's TGV station, which is next to the airport. Their circular design features shops and gardens at its centre.

RSHP founding partner Richard Rogers, whose company also designed Heathrow Terminal 5 in London and Barajas airport in Madrid, is the subject of a major exhibition that opened at the Royal Academy in London this week. See all our stories about Richard Rogers.

Here's some info from RSHP:

Lyon airport commissions Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, architects of Heathrow Terminal 5 and Barajas Airport, for their new European gateway

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) are pleased to announce their appointment to design the Future Terminal 1 project at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport. The new terminal will cover roughly the same area (70,000m2) as all of the existing buildings combined and will enable the airport to welcome an extra 5 million passengers by 2020 (taking the total from 10 to 15 million).

The brief for the project was challenging: to create a new identity for the site that remained in keeping with the high-calibre existing campus and didn’t detract from the distinctive TGV train station, designed by Santiago Calatrava. RSHP’s solution is a circular building made up of bold, simple and elegant structural elements.  The terminal will offer a spacious and clearly defined entrance, a hanging garden and large shopping area at the centre, which will enrich the travelling experience for passengers.

Graham Stirk, senior partner at Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, designer of the project said:

“We are very pleased to be involved in the new terminal for Lyon Airport. The existing airport campus has a very distinctive structural and architectural language in both form and colour. This ‘DNA’ determines the character of the new proposal. We look forward to working with GFC Construction and Aéroports de Lyon to create a new European gateway to the city and its region.”