CONFIDENTIAL REGIONAL AIRPORT

COLLABORATION WITH SOM

Location:  Confidential
Type:  On The Boards

The visionary transformation of this regional airport aims to redefine the current site. Recast as an inspiring blueprint for comfortable air travel, this airport uses sustainable site solutions and an exploration of its unique locale. The interplay between the outdoor atrium gardens at the terminal and the adjacent parking area forms a dynamic network, offering opportunities for intuitive wayfinding, efficient stormwater management, and immersion in a natural beauty. In this “Clearing in the Woods”, every traveler discovers a welcoming sense of home.

The terminal offers visitors a rich connection to local nature, giving travelers a profound sense of arriving at a destination rather than merely “passing through”. Embracing the aspiration to elevate the building experience, the architectural design seamlessly harmonizes with the surrounding ecology. It invites the serene and therapeutic qualities of native vegetation to craft rejuvenating havens for travelers to forge meaningful connections during their journeys.

An airport of this size offers the possibility of creating a user experience that is far more intimate than that of larger airports. Travelers are accustomed to looking to lounges as refuges from the madness of airports and will enjoy a premium experience offered at this regional airport. By providing comfortable, residential-like seating in smaller groupings, softer lighting, an elegant bar, fireplaces, gardens, a variety of environments including quiet areas, and less visual chaos, the traveler can enjoy themselves and are encouraged to explore. This can lead to more time, and thus more money spent at the airport. Furthermore, a premium experience will foster repeat business.

Landscape Architecture: GGN
Images:  Graham Baba Architects, SOM, & GGN