AIRPORT DESIGN
reducing the airport’s waste generation. In addition, SFO is the only US airport that’s also an accredited museum, and SFO T2 includes art installations that draw inspiration from the Bay Area’s dramatic weather patterns. These various elements capture San Francisco residents’ value of sustainability and express the Bay Area’s character.
International approach Genlser has used the approach that is showcased at SFO T2 in other terminal designs around the world, showing its ability to be translated in various environments and cultures. In India, Chennai International Airport’s Kamraj Domestic Terminal
and Anna International Terminal were both designed by Gensler in conjunction with Frederic Schwartz Architects and Creative Group. These two terminals, which total 1.3 million gross-square-feet (gsf), incorporate aspects from the Tamil Nadu region’s rich culture and leverage the surrounding area’s natural resources to increase overall sustainability. Due for completion in October 2011, Chennai will be the largest airport run by the state Airports Authority of India (AAI), showing that airports of all sizes can be sustainable and locally focused. In Chennai, the terminals’ layouts reflect design motifs that originated
in some of the iconic temples in the surrounding region. They are intuitively laid out and illuminated with natural light, which streams through expansive glass curtain walls thanks to a column-free design. Lush tropical gardens between the pre- and post-security areas
reference the Indian use of interior courtyards and regional landscapes. These gardens are visible to passengers as they pass through security, as well as from waiting areas and concessions in the post-security area. These gardens create a relaxing environment and expose passengers to the verdant region’s flora. Chennai’s natural resources and conditions were also used throughout
the design to enhance sustainability. The terminal roofs are designed to capture rainwater and channel it into underground cisterns where it can be stored for later use. Access to potable water is a critical issue for the region’s inhabitants. Chennai relies on monsoon rains to replenish its water table, and creating a system that captures rainwater is an advantage for the airport.
The future of sustainable design SFO T2 and the terminals at Chennai International Airport demonstrate how sustainable terminal design can create iconic civic structures that function efficiently while simultaneously enhancing passengers’ travel experience. Airports are at a turning point and the terminals of the future will have
to go beyond even the latest approaches to sustainability and design. The proliferation of technology and new protocols, such as the Common Use Passenger Processing Systems (CUPPS), promise to dramatically affect every aspect of flying. Re-examining basic terminal design is the next step to balancing building performance and passenger comfort. The evolution of the typical passenger journey over the past decade
has had major implications for terminal design. Technology now allows passengers to handle many aspects of the pre-flight process – such as checking in and tagging bags – before they arrive at the airport. Ticketing and departure halls have traditionally functioned as terminals’ grandest spaces, but designers must now consider whether it is sustainable and passenger friendly to allocate so much space and so many resources to an area where today’s travellers spend little time. One way to address this is to invert the typical two-level terminal
configuration, in which arrivals and baggage claim are stacked beneath a grandly scaled departure hall. In this scenario, the space devoted to airline agents and baggage check-in would be reduced by over 30%. The baggage claim area would move to the terminal’s upper level, increasing in size and evolving into a celebratory space where the airport’s city welcomes its visitors and residents rather than celebrating their departure. This design scheme considers the new ways that passengers
interact with airports and ensures resources are allocated to spaces where passengers are spending more of their journey. Passengers value airports that promote sustainable and passenger friendly practices, and airports recognise the financial and social value of terminals that conserve resources, reduce operating costs and enhance the passenger experience. Terminals will be the engine of change because they, more than any other structure, provide opportunities to redefine the passenger experience.
AW AIRPORT WORLD/FEBRUARY-MARCH 2011 65
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