IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018 - 44

Left: Pools and seating at the Vadodara
International Airport in Gujarat, India
reference the region's wells. Above: The
Bert Mooney Airport in Butte, Montana, USA
pays tribute to the city's mining history.

THE ERA OF STERILE,
GENERIC AIRPORTS IS OVER.
A bevy of big-dollar projects at airports around the world-
from Beijing, China and Istanbul, Turkey to Hong Kong
and Los Angeles, California, USA-is ushering in
the next wave of transportation hubs, and many
are shaping up to be destinations in their own
right. The design of these upgraded terminals
and vast new facilities promises to expand the
notion of what an airport should be by focusing
on traveler experience.
It's a necessary change for an industry that is
TY OSBAUGH, expected to see rapid growth. During the next
AIA, LEED AP 20 years, the rate of air travel will double to 7.8
billion passengers per year, according to the
International Air Transport Association (IATA).
It's also an exciting scenario for innovative designers,
says Ty Osbaugh, AIA, LEED AP, firmwide aviation and
transportation practice area leader, Gensler, Washington,
D.C., USA. "The flood of new projects provides an
opportunity to change the paradigm for the airport
experience," he says.
But with this opportunity comes a major challenge.
Airport projects often take years-and in some
cases decades-to complete. With the potential for
exceptionally lengthy timelines, the demand for innovative
designs that stand the test of time, as well as ever-advancing
technology, becomes even more critical.

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As with many spaces today, the demand for more
authentic design is on the rise for airports, says Osbaugh,
who has been designing airport terminals since 2000
and has witnessed a dramatic shift in the style and
aesthetic that project owners want. "For a long time
in aviation design, every material was chosen for its
durability and ease of maintenance," he says. "That
resulted in a lot of stainless steel covers and pressed wall
panels." It also resulted in most airports feeling exactly
the same and left many travelers with no sense of where
they really were.
Today, airport owners want these spaces to stand out
as gateways to their cities. That's giving designers the
chance to showcase designs inspired by the color palette,
materials, flavors, artistry, and general vibe of the local
population. "An airport is the first and last impression a
traveler has of the community," Osbaugh says. "We want
that impression to resonate throughout our designs."
For example, at the new Vadodara International
Airport in Vadodara, Gujarat, India, Gensler created a
stepped pool with seating that references the region's
terraced wells. "You can't just drop in a generic design
anymore," Osbaugh says. "It has to resonate with the
spirit of the city or region."
In the redesign of the Bert Mooney Airport in Butte,
Montana, USA-where the goal was to showcase the city's
heritage and mining history for incoming and outgoing
passengers-designers from The KPA Group Architects and
Engineers integrated mining-timber woodwork throughout,
as well as a custom-made metal security gate inspired by

Photos by: (previous spread) ©Beauty & The Bit; (left) Gensler; KPA Group Architects and Engineers

No Two Airports Are the Same

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Spring 2018