Landor and Incubis design stunning T3 at Delhi International Airport

The plans for T3 Delhi International Airport had it all; Luxurious production, massive scale and state-of-the-art steel and glass construction. Plans for extensive retail and F&B offerings coupled with impeccable customer service to make T3 comparable with the greatest airports of the world, unlike anything seen before in India.

But T3 could have been an airport anywhere in the world. Designed to handle 34 million passengers annually, its mammoth infrastructure would include 168 Check-in counters, 49 Arrival and 50 Departure immigration desks. But architecture, design and planning can do only so much, in the absence of "soul".

This is when GMR brought on board the expertise of Landor and Incubis. Landor's renowned strategic brand consulting and design expertise was paired with Incubis' unique "Experience Design' process bringing together user insight, local knowledge and innovative zeal to create unique spaces.

Site visits revealed a compelling need for a sense of location and place. This led to the idea of adding soul to the steel and glass structure and transforming it from being just India's biggest terminal to an architectural and experiential masterpiece. A customer journey mapping exercise led to the idea of creating a unique experience of India.

To envelop this is within the brand, Landor created the idea of "Expressive India". Borne from the GMR symbol, the graphic language created for T3 draws inspiration from Indian elements ' music, dance and monuments.

Designed to showcase the progress of our country, a blend of our glorious heritage and the joy of celebration in a manner that feels contemporary and yet has its roots in tradition. The interiors include sculptures of Indian mudras, yogic positions and artist's renditions of India's progress.