The new 100,000 sq. m Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport opened to public acclaim in November 2010, making it the 13th largest international traffic airport in Europe. DAA appointed Arup Lighting team for the daylight and architectural lighting design for the airport interior & exterior.

The design brief was to provide a building lit to the best international standards, pleasing & functional whilst minimising energy consumption and maintenance costs. The ease of lighting maintenance for all double, triple height and difficult to access spaces was a key client requirement. Innovative ways of clustering luminaires and combining lighting with other building services were adopted.

The lighting strategy reveals and defines the architectural qualities of the terminal’s main built components; Check- in, Departures, Arrivals and Pier E and contributes to navigation and wayfinding.  Emphasis is given to daylight integration through a series of skylights which provide natural light during the day and are illuminated at night helping passenger navigate through the terminal spine.  Blue color is used to define the main routes.

The brief for the exterior lighting is a dynamic white and blue lighting that enhances the curved roof of the Check in and Departures. The uplighting of the exterior canopies and vehicle underpass contributes to the airport’s night time image and identity.