By Architectural and Urban Design Desk
Published: September 4, 2026
Main Facts
The architectural landscape of regional aviation in Brazil has undergone a profound paradigm shift with the redesign of the Doutor Leite Lopes State Airport in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo. Conceptualized and executed by the acclaimed firm Bacco Arquitetos Associados—and curated for the global stage by Susanna Moreira—the project fundamentally re-evaluates what an airport terminal can and should be.
Moving away from the sterile, alienating typology of the twentieth-century "non-place"—a term coined by anthropologist Marc Augé to describe transient spaces devoid of identity—the architects have transformed the facility into an active, breathing urban element. The terminal is deeply integrated into the cultural, social, and physical fabric of the Ribeirão Preto community.
At the heart of this architectural transformation is a deliberate choice of materials and structural philosophy. The terminal makes extensive use of Glued Laminated Timber (glulam), a renewable engineering marvel that drastically curtails the building’s overall carbon footprint. Beyond its environmental credentials, the choice of timber serves a profound symbolic purpose. By embracing warm, organic materials, the design pays homage to the rich regional agro-industrial identity of the interior of São Paulo state, turning what is traditionally an anxiety-inducing transit hub into a welcoming, biophilic space for social gathering, commerce, and community connection. Captured brilliantly through the lens of architectural photographer Ana Mello, the terminal balances sweeping structural clarity with intimate, human-scale details.
Chronology
The realization of the new Doutor Leite Lopes State Airport terminal is the culmination of years of strategic planning, regional growth demands, and meticulous architectural execution.
- Early Regional Planning Phase: As Ribeirão Preto consolidated its status as a powerhouse for agribusiness, technology, and higher education in southeastern Brazil, the existing infrastructure of the Doutor Leite Lopes State Airport faced mounting pressure. Local authorities recognized that the outdated terminal could no longer support projected passenger volume or project the dynamic image of a modern regional hub.
- Commission and Conceptualization (Bacco Arquitetos Associados): Bacco Arquitetos Associados was tasked with rethinking the airport not merely as an expansion of square footage, but as a comprehensive civic intervention. The design team initiated exhaustive studies into sustainable construction methods, local material sourcing, and urban integration.
- Engineering and Timber Procurement: The decision to implement a primary Glued Laminated Timber structure required precise logistical coordination. Sourcing certified, high-grade glulam capable of spanning vast terminal spaces called for specialized engineering partnerships, ensuring compliance with strict safety, seismic, and fire-resistance standards while maintaining aesthetic warmth.
- Construction and Phased Rollout: Construction proceeded under rigorous modern building protocols to minimize disruption to ongoing flight operations. The phased assembly allowed the airport to remain functional while the monumental timber frames, expansive glass facades, and interior circulation nodes were put into place.
- Completion and Public Opening (September 2026): The newly revitalized terminal officially opened its doors to the public, instantly establishing itself as a benchmark for sustainable public infrastructure in Latin America. Architectural documentation by Ana Mello captured the completed project, showcasing its seamless interaction with natural light and regional landscapes.
Supporting Data
To understand the scope and impact of the Doutor Leite Lopes State Airport project, one must examine the metrics driving its design and environmental strategy:
- Primary Structural Material: Glued Laminated Timber (glulam), replacing carbon-intensive alternatives such as virgin structural steel and mass-pour reinforced concrete for the primary roof and framing systems.
- Carbon Offset Metrics: By substituting traditional industrial materials with sustainably harvested and processed timber, the project significantly reduces embodied carbon, locking away greenhouse gases within the structural framework over the building’s life cycle.
- Transparency and Envelope: High-performance architectural glazing covers expansive exterior walls, optimizing daylight harvesting, lowering artificial daytime lighting loads, and offering passengers continuous visual connections to the surrounding airfield and regional landscape.
- Spatial Typology: Transitioning from an insular, compartmentalized layout to an open-plan concourse that merges passenger processing zones with public plazas, retail nodes, and gathering spaces.
- Location: Ribeirão Preto, State of São Paulo, Brazil—a major strategic nexus for the nation’s agricultural and industrial export corridors.
Official Responses and Stakeholder Perspectives
The unveiling of the terminal has drawn widespread acclaim from urban planners, environmental advocates, and municipal leaders alike.
In their official design statement, the architects at Bacco Arquitetos Associados emphasized the socio-cultural imperative behind the architecture:
"In contrast to the concept of the ‘non-place,’ our design transforms the airport into an active urban element integrated into the Ribeirão Preto community. The Glued Laminated Timber structure reduces the carbon footprint and establishes a connection with the local agro-industrial identity, converting transit infrastructure into a welcoming space for social gathering."
Regional economic stakeholders have similarly championed the project. Representatives from local business associations noted that the airport acts as the first and last impression for international investors, agronomists, and tourists visiting the region. By replacing the generic, hangar-like aesthetic of older regional airports with a sophisticated, sustainable timber pavilion, Ribeirão Preto projects an image of forward-thinking modernity rooted in environmental stewardship.
Furthermore, structural engineering consultants working alongside Bacco noted that the successful integration of glulam in an aviation facility proves that large-scale public transit projects do not have to rely on brute-force industrial materials to achieve structural integrity. The flexibility and tensile strength of engineered wood allowed for dramatic, column-free interior vistas that calm travelers and ease navigation.
Implications
The completion of the Doutor Leite Lopes State Airport project carries far-reaching implications for future infrastructure design across Brazil and the broader global South.
1. Redefining Regional Aviation Infrastructure
For decades, major architectural investments in aviation were funneled almost exclusively into colossal international capital hubs, leaving regional airports as neglected, utilitarian boxes. Bacco Arquitetos Associados has demonstrated that regional terminals deserve high design value. By treating a mid-sized airport as a civic monument, the project elevates the travel experience for millions of regional passengers who previously navigated cramped, uninspired facilities.
2. A Blueprint for Sustainable Construction in the Tropics
The heavy reliance on Glued Laminated Timber marks a crucial step forward for sustainable architecture in South America. Brazil possesses vast potential for sustainable forestry and engineered wood production. By showcasing glulam on a monumental civic scale, this project encourages public agencies to look beyond concrete and steel, proving that timber can meet rigorous commercial safety and durability requirements while dramatically shrinking a building’s carbon ledger.
3. Architecture as an Urban Catalyst
By dissolving the boundary between the "secured sterile zone" and the civic gathering space, the design challenges conventional airport security and spatial planning. While maintaining strict international aviation security standards, the layout invites locals—not just flyers—to engage with the terminal’s amenities, dining options, and public plazas. In doing so, Doutor Leite Lopes State Airport reclaims its identity as a proud community landmark rather than an isolated terminal gate, setting a new global standard for how transit architecture can enrich civic life.
