This Reminds Me of Viktor Navorski - "The Terminal"

- in reality, not many architects get the opportunity to do these kind of projects. Well, I have -

An Airbus A330 having some maintenance works and parked near the fence. I'm not allowed to take pictures inside the airfield. This one was shot outside of the airport's boundaries.

As a young student in the college of architecture, a professor of ours once sentimented his disagreements with what the graduating students are proposing for their thesis simply because they are challenging and sure to impress the other members of the faculty and the jury during deliberation. The students, he said, are proposing ambitious projects such as hospitals, hotels, shopping complexes, sports stadiums and - airports. In many ways he's right because in reality, not many architects get the opportunity to do these kind of projects. Well, I have, and I'm doing an airport now. I've just been recently appointed as Senior Architect for the expansion of the existing Doha International Airport's departure hall and baggage handling area.

It's a high profile project and the experience so far is both exciting and challenging. It's fun to move around without having to carry your passport, ticket or boarding pass. I have access to both departure and boarding lounges, duty free shops, the air field and even the office of the DIA Operations Manager (because he's the client's representative I have to deal with.) I'm kind of reminded of Viktor Navorski (played by Tom Hanks in "The Terminal"). You know, you get to move around the airport but you're not a passenger, and neither are you an airport employee. But just the same, he had work in the airport's expansion construction. So do I. The difference is, I didn't had to sleep in the terminal and - there was no Catherine Zeta Jones to flirt with!!

A self-portrait using my Sony Ericsson W550i camera-walkman-phone. This is our construction site. Hey look at the upper right corner - that's the tail of an Airbus.

But I think the best thing about it is that an airport experience listed in my work portfolio would look rather impressive, don't you think?