In Florence, Italy, the planned new international terminal at Amerigo Vespucci Airport will feature a 19-acre rooftop vineyard as part of a design by Rafael Viñoly Architects.
Florence, the capital of the Tuscany region and situated in the heart of Italy’s wine country, inspired the terminal’s rooftop vineyard to reflect the area’s viticultural heritage.
© Courtesy of Rafael Viñoly Architects
The terminal will cover 538,000 square feet and is designed to handle nearly 6 million international passengers annually. It will connect seamlessly to ground transportation, including a new light rail system and a fast, sustainable link between the airport, the city, and regional destinations.
A key objective of the project is to reorient and lengthen the existing runway, which has constrained arrivals due to its short length and nearby hills. The new plan turns the runway 90 degrees away from the hills and increases its usable length to improve safety and capacity.
The rooftop concept lifts a portion of the surrounding landscape—taking cues from nearby vineyards and a planned park—so the planted roof sits above the terminal. Precast concrete linear planters will hold soil and irrigation, while a network of branching columns supports the vineyard and preserves flexibility for the terminal’s internal layout.
© Courtesy of Rafael Viñoly Architects
Between each of the 38 sloping elevated planters will be 4-foot-wide insulated skylights that flood the terminal with natural light. The trapezoidal building form—narrower at the base and broader at the top—enhances sky views from the interior. Thirty-eight rows of productive vines will cover the roof, providing thermal insulation that contributes to the terminal’s goal of LEED Platinum certification.
Local vintners will cultivate and harvest the vines, and wine production, aging, and cellaring will take place on site in specialized cellars located beneath the sloping portions of the roof. The expansive green roof will be visible from elevated points across Florence, including the Duomo, located roughly 6.5 miles from the airport.
The terminal’s layout also aims to improve passenger flow and experience. Arrivals and departures are arranged to face each other across a central public space—akin to a piazza—organizing movements through the terminal and providing straightforward connections to mass transit, parking, and retail that serve both residents and travelers.
© Courtesy of Rafael Viñoly Architects
On one side of the public piazza, the ground-level check-in area will feed escalators that ascend 26 feet to a platform hosting immigration, duty-free shops, restaurants, and lounges. That platform bridges the piazza and arrivals halls and leads to a broad departures concourse with gates and a large glass enclosure overlooking the runway and surrounding hills.
The late Rafael Viñoly, founder and principal of Rafael Viñoly Architects, observed that Florence “represents the very idea of Culture. A culture that is productive, intellectual, artistic, and always practical and pragmatic. Florence is a place where things become permanent landmarks because they have a fundamental sense of internal logic and quality.”
Phase 1 of the project is anticipated to be completed in 2026. Travelers can look forward to arriving at a terminal that celebrates the region’s landscape and winemaking tradition.