By Dominic Welling
Schiphol Airport has opened its new 'Airport Park', a purpose built area within the airport where passengers can spend their time in a park themed environment.
Complete with an outside terrace, the Airport Park is designed to offer passengers a city park experience without leaving the airport.
Located beyond passport control in Lounge 1, above pier D, passengers can spend their time as though they are in an actual park and can even step outside to enjoy the sunshine on a purpose built terrace.
In the Airport Park travellers will have access to greenery, as well as food outlets and shop kiosks, and to make the experience as real as possible the airport has used mixed reality technology.
This includes displaying images of famous parks on the walls, while at the same time projecting images of butterflies and the sounds of animals, bicycle bells and children playing, all of which add to the park's atmosphere.
Passengers have the option to relax under trees on designer chairs upholstered in ivy or sit down on one of the wooden picnic benches or tree-stump seats.
There is also a park cafè, where people can buy fresh food and drinks to enjoy around the park, and various kiosks which sell magazines, newspapers, flowers and souvenirs.
In addition, the Airport Park also has a number of sustainable elements, including the ability for passengers to recharge their mobile phones by using one of the available bicycles that can generate energy.
LED lighting is also used wherever possible and sunshine and daylight enter the park through tube lighting and fibre optics cables.
The park is part of Schiphol's plan to become Europe's preferred airport and aims to give travellers a place to relax or work in a green environment.
Otto Ambagtsheer, consumer business area director at Schiphol Airport, said: "We are proud to be the world's first airport with an Airport Park. The Airport Park is a place where passengers can stay in a pleasant and green environment to relax, eat and drink.
"We offer food outlets and shop kiosks - just as in any city park. Travellers can even step outside to enjoy the sunshine on the terrace.
"With this innovative new facility, Schiphol has once more taken a step to surpass the expectations of its passengers and to be and remain Europe's preferred airport."
