BUD Ferihegy Terminal 2B

Terminal 2B was designed as a functional mirror image of Terminal 2A, but slightly larger. The cornerstone was laid on April 11, 1997, marking the beginning of an ambitious 18-month construction project to modernize Budapest's air travel.

The new terminal had a triangular building design with separate levels for arriving and departing passengers, and included six passenger bridges - a major upgrade from the outdated Terminal 1. This development cost $120 million, mostly funded through a loan with state guarantee. Architect Zoltán Tima designed the terminal with a clean, orderly look - a two-story building connected to Terminal 2B, mainly serving Schengen border traffic.

For this pioneering project, we created comprehensive 3D visualizations using Autodesk 3D Studio Release 4 for MS-DOS. We had to convert 2D AutoCAD drawings into detailed 3D models - a complex process that required careful extrusion of closed 2D shapes to create three-dimensional solids.

We added a personal touch to our renderings by photographing our team members and the project manager from ADC using analog cameras. After scanning and digitizing these photos, we incorporated them into the renderings as passengers moving through the terminal. This brought life and scale to our visualizations.

Material representation was another critical part of our work. We digitized actual material samples to accurately show textures, colors, and finishes in our renderings. This process involved capturing surface textures and physical parameters to create digital twins of real-life materials. Our detailed material visualization helped the interior design team make better decisions about finishes, lighting effects, and spatial aesthetics. Being able to show how different materials would interact with light and create shadows within the terminal was invaluable for the design process, allowing stakeholders to visualize the final appearance before construction began.