"Air Cubed" Air Terminal at Oban Airport Part 1 Project 2004 Christopher Gray Edinburgh College of Art | UK A tilted green roof of wind-pruned shrubs and sea grasses greets the airport visitor. Prised from the earth, the massive roof is pierced by a simple glass box and a series of rusted steel 'stacks' which tumble down the green incline. Positioned above outdoor spaces at the heart of the building, these apertures draw air, light, rain and ozone into and through the building. Such elemental experiences on the ground prepare the visitor for the air, forging connections between ground and sky, a celebration of the unique qualities of the site as a gateway to the air. With the prospect of oil from the Minch, oil traffic, freight and tourism, daily school runs, search and rescue, police, air ambulance, ferry flights, RAF training, gliding, refuelling and aviation support provision, there has been a revival of interest in the expansion of Oban Airport at Connel Airstrip. This project focuses on the design of a new air terminal building for a hundred and fifty thousand passengers each year and eleven thousand fixed wing, rotary, training, test and over-flight aircraft movements. The impressive aspect of this design is its capacity to support an imaginative and efficient interface between earth and sky in the dramatic landscape of Ardmucknish Bay.