The Doorway to the Caucasus

Rostov-on-Don is the southern capital of the Russian Federation and the largest industrial and cultural city in the south of the country. Because of its unique geographic position, the city has always been a meeting point for different peoples as well as a major commercial and infrastructural hub for air, rail, road, river and maritime traffic. The city has often been referred to as the «Doorway to the Caucasus» for this very reason. An important centre for science and culture and the historical motherland of the Cossacks, the city boasts seven theatres and a large number of educational and research institutes. Another characteristic of the region is its particularly mild climate; the sun shines for over two hundred days a year on the city of Rostov and the river Don.
The strategic role played by Platov airport as the largest hub in this rich region is therefore obvious. The new airport building occupies an area of over 50,000 square metres and handles around 2000 air travellers an hour. Construction cost some 580 million euros. Architecturally speaking, one the most interesting areas in the entire complex is its VIP lounge, which characterised by a large glass window overlooking the charming countryside of Rostov province. Vox Architects, the Russian studio responsible for the design of the lounge, devised an interior capable of cleverly exploiting the airport’s natural surroundings. Furnishings are arranged to leave a clear view of the outside and also to blend in with the floor and wall covering materials. The whole lounge has a clear predilection for cork and porcelain tile.
The «Sun on Don» lounge is named in direct reference to the region’s welcoming climate and to a reception area dominated by an impressive, sun-shaped lighting feature. Around this large, artificial sun run undulated walls that allow different areas to merge gently one into another, creating zones of greater privacy and silence. The golden light that penetrates through the generous windows is reflected by the walls of the lounge and attenuated by the delicate tones of the grey floor. This is finished in Laminam’s Calce series large tiles and changes radically in look in the service areas where metal plated granite surfaces and porcelain tile (Laminam’s Filo collection in silver on the walls and doorways), also with a bright metallic finish, produce an effect reminiscent of the light reflected by the river Don.
The VIP lounge is furnished with divans, arm chairs and single seats that can be arranged to create whatever type of space travellers might need (for company meetings, groups of friends or families). The lounge also has its own relaxation area, a bar-restaurant and a children’s play area. All areas and furnishings are equipped with integrated power and USB sockets to permit easy recharging and to provide WiFi connectivity to those passing through. This choice of furnishings and covering materials was dictated by the designers’ commitment to ensuring the highest standards of strength, durability, fire resistance and acoustic comfort in every aspect of the project.