Wine meets travel: Florence’s new airport will have a vineyard on its roof

Florence’s airport could soon be home to an unusual feature on its roof – a 7.7-hectare (19 acre) vineyard.

US design studio Rafael Viñoly Architects has unveiled plans for a remodelled international terminal at the Italian airport, including the vines which will serve as a nod to Florence’s reputation as the “heart of Italy’s renowned wine country” – Tuscany.

While details are still vague on exact plans, the architects say the future terminal will be 50,000 square metres in size. It will be topped off with an enormous sloping roof which will be lined with skylights and some 38 rows of vines.

It is thought to be the first airport vineyard in Europe. At Halter Ranch vineyard in California, there exists a private airport for licensed pilots and their wine-loving friends – but it’s a rare combination.

Will Florence airport produce its own wine?

Much of the wine production will likely be undertaken in-house.

“A leading vintner from the region will cultivate the vineyard and the wine will be crafted and aged in specialised cellars beneath the terminal’s roof,” a spokesperson for Rafael Viñoly Architects explains.

Below the vineyards, the terminal design features a large piazza, which the architects say will help to streamline circulation of passengers.

The planned ‘piazza’ interior of Florence’s refurbished airport Rafael Viñoly Architects

The plans will also see the existing runway turning 90 degrees, making it better suited to modern aircraft, as well as improving onward transport links via a new light rail system.

Rafael Viñoly Architects have announced they will work together with airport planners to construct the structure in two phases.

The first is slated for completion in 2026 but we’ll have to wait a while for the second – it’s not due to be finished until 2035.