“A Monument of Victory: Istanbul Airport” – a documentary film narrating the story of Istanbul Airport as the largest project in the history of the Republic from its initial stages of gestation to the airport’s shift to operation at full capacity – released today on iGA Istanbul Airport’s YouTube channel. The documentary provides a comprehensive narrative on the construction process of Istanbul Airport – a project that manifests Turkey’s claim in aviation industry – down to the last detail.
The 56-minutes long documentary titled “A Monument of Victory: Istanbul Airport” narrating all stages of Istanbul Airport from the planning process to construction and from construction to the launch of operations as an airport that has pushed Turkey over the top of aviation is available on iGA Istanbul Airport’s YouTube channel as of today.
The product of 1857-days’ hard work…
Over 230 hours of camera shooting was made in the production of the” A Monument of Victory: Istanbul Airport” documentary, with more than 100 people working in the production and post-production phases. The documentary being the product of 1.857-days’ hard work comprises time-lapse shoots taken by 20 cameras over the course of 3 years from 100 different points. A total of 40 terabytes of data were recorded for the documentary that took record of every detail for 61 months.
Not a mere airport, but a monument of victory…
During the construction of Istanbul Airport, 12.400 bores and test pits were drilled. 3.159 construction equipment operated nonstop. 750 million cubic meters of soil was excavated. 320 million cubic meters of filling works was carried out. 7 million cubic meters of concrete was poured. “A Monument of Victory: Istanbul Airport” offers a dynamic insight to the sublime story of Istanbul Airport as Turkey’s gate to the world that has proven itself as a global HUB in its first year of operation already, on account of its unique architecture, strong infrastructure, superior technologies, and the outstanding travel experience offered to its passengers.
The documentary points out that Istanbul Airport was completed in record time of just 42 months, whilst the project was initially anticipated by many to take 10 years under normal conditions when compared to other airport constructions worldwide, placing emphasis on the fact that the design process alone may take up to 4 years in projects like this. Yet in contrast, iGA managed to complete the airport’s construction and put it into service in a time as short as 42 months.
The documentary informs that Istanbul Airport, the opening of which was initially scheduled for 29 October 2018, completed the challenging construction process in record time of just 42 months, highlighting the fact that the idle land on which the airport is located has been made earthquake-proof, thus turning it into a gem of sustainable added value for Turkish economy.
A terminal design paying tribute to Sinan the Architect…
The documentary narrates that Istanbul Airport has an authentic design that combines modernity with functionality, emphasizing that in architectural terms the airport terminal takes its inspiration from Istanbul’s cultural heritage. It is also mentioned that the terminal’s architecture is an elaborated reflection of the mosques, baths, domes and many other historic structures of Istanbul, with motives peculiar to Turkish-Islamic art and architecture bestowing a whole new beauty, texture and depth upon the project. As is known, the design of Istanbul Airport’s air traffic control tower took its inspiration from the “tulip” – a figure of cultural significance in Turkish-Islamic history and the city symbol of Istanbul for centuries – while the terminal’s roofs make reference to the designs of Sinan the Architect.
The documentary also gives every detail of the “Great Move” where, as the last step for Istanbul Airport to start service at full capacity, Atatürk Airport was closed to flights, and materials weighing 47.300 tons in total were moved to Istanbul Airport. Those moments that manifest Turkey’s success in logistics are screened with images that will not be forgotten for many years.
Now, it is us with Istanbul Airport who sets the rules in aviation…
Mr. Kadri Samsunlu, Chief Executive Officer of iGA Airport Operation Inc., expressed his thoughts and emotions about “A Monument of Victory: Istanbul Airport”, which narrates the whole process of Istanbul Airport’s inauguration from its early stages of gestation to the launch of operations at full capacity, with following statements: “With this documentary, whole world will witness the moments when we achieved the impossible thanks to our ambition and determination. Thousands of people worked shoulder to shoulder with tremendous devotion in the whole process from construction to operations of Istanbul Airport – the largest project in the Republic’s history, a ‘Monument of Victory’ as called by the President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
We are so proud to have brought an achievement of such magnitude to our country. This achievement is the product of Turkish engineering, our strong national economy, and above all, the ambition and determination of Turkish people. We have shot this documentary film to set an example for new projects and freeze this success story in the people’s memories. I am a true believer that international travel will return to normal faster with the development of a vaccine, as a result of which travel restrictions will be lifted eventually.”
Source: Istanbul Airport
