Excerpt: Robin Ault is great architect and friend,” said Curtis Fentress, Fentress Architects’s founder and principal in charge of design. “His highly sculptural and iconic approach to design is in perfect alignment with Fentress Architects’s core values. We are thrilled to have him back.”
… perspectives from professionals in in aviation and architecture.
About Fentress Global Challenge Fentress Global Challenge (FGC) is …
ARLINGTON, VA – The Pentagon Memorial Fund, Inc. (PMF) recently passed a critical milestone in the development of a Visitor Education Center at the site of the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. The Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) approved the concept design by Fentress Architects following an approval in July from the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC). The Visitor Education Center will be located within walking distance of the Pentagon Memorial. It is also in close proximity to Arlington National Cemetery and the US Air Force Memorial.
“With these approvals, the PMF has reached a milestone that will allow us to take the next step in building a visitors’ education center to tell the story of the terrorist attacks, the victims and responders and the subsequent national and international.” said Pentagon Memorial Fund, Inc. Board Chairman and President Sean T. Connaughton. “This history must be preserved and accurately passed on to future American generations. We must never forget.”
While the Pentagon site was the first to have a 9/11 memorial, it is also the only site still lacking a visitors’ center. The 9/11 Pentagon Memorial Visitor Education Center will honor the 184 victims of the attack on the Pentagon as well as explore the local, national, and international response to 9/11 and subsequent Global War on Terror. Therefore, the Visitor Education Center is anticipated to function as a national convening space for the examination of these responses, and their continuing impact.
“The new Visitor Education Center at the 9/11 Memorial will be a dynamic structure—imbued with meaning, conducive to contemplation, and encouraging of resilience,” explains Curtis Worth Fentress, Founder and Principal-in-Charge of Design at Fentress Architects.
Over $14 million has been raised to support the creation of a 9/11 Pentagon Memorial’s Visitor Education Center. Major donors include Amazon & Amazon Web Services, the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, Transurban, Accenture, the J. Willard & Alice S. Marriott Foundation, and the Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. With these two key approvals in place, the Pentagon Memorial Fund has launched a campaign to raise the balance of funds necessary to complete the Visitor Education Center in time for the 25th commemoration of the 9/11 attacks, which will occur in 2026.
Families of the victims of the 9/11 attack at the Pentagon formed PMF in 2003. The National Memorial was dedicated five years later as a public and private partnership. The PMF continues to support the Memorial with private funding and volunteer docents. Up to one million annual visitors experience the memorial today including many school groups from all over the United States. For more information on PMF, including how to give, visit pentagonmemorial.org.
Contact: press@pentagon-memorial.org // (202) 417 6590
Fentress Architects is a global design firm dedicated to the creation of sustainable and iconic architecture that enhances the human environment. Founded in 1980 by Curtis Fentress, the firm’s portfolio serves over 650 million people annually, valued at over $47 billion, and has earned more than 600 distinctions for design excellence and innovation. For more information about Fentress Architects, visit fentressarchitects.com. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
Nashville International Airport (BNA) welcomed a record 18.4 million passengers in 2022, besting the previous high by seven percent. Years of increasing passenger volume among both domestic and international travelers prompted by the creation of BNA Vision in 2017. BNA Vision comprises nine major building projects supporting a capacity of more than 23 million annual passengers.
“We’re thrilled to be creating exciting architecture for such a vibrant city, and at the same time also supporting the growing passenger volume and a great passenger experience at BNA,” said Curtis Fentress, FAIA Principal in Charge of Design with design architect Fentress Architects.
Fentress Architects began working at BNA in 2017 on projects including:
The new terminal lobby features a waved roof canopy that extends from the terminal garage to the International Arrivals Facility (IAF). This canopy provides coverage for roadway and curbside access to and from the terminal as well as a new pedestrian walkway bridge. The pedestrian bridge promotes efficient passenger traffic flow by connecting the central core with a garage plaza, administration building and future hotel. The central core vertically connects all five levels from the Transportation Center to the new pedestrian bridge.
The new IAF opened at the end of September 2023. Included with this project is a central concession marketplace located between the security screening checkpoint and the international gates. The marketplace optimizes services and amenities available to both international and domestic passengers.
The IAF includes:
Fentress Architects’ design of the 115,000-square-foot Concourse D opened in 2020 and yielded six new departure gates along with associated amenities and function space. Fentress Architects is currently working on an extension to Concourse D that will include five additional gates. This 160,000-square-foot extension also includes outdoor space that will afford departing and arriving passenger’s exceptional views of the airfield and a unique opportunity to go outside at BNA. A circular node design at the end of the concourse extension symbolizes a classical record to celebrate Nashville’s deep musical history.
Sustainability and comfort are paramount for all BNA projects undertaken by Fentress Architects. All facilities are designed to achieve a minimum of USGBC LEED Silver Certification. Electrochromic glass was utilized throughout in skylights, clerestories, and curtainwalls. This “smart” glass automatically and constantly adjusts to fluctuations in solar radiation to manage daylighting and energy use effectively and efficiently.
Terminal C will introduce the next generation of The Orlando Experience®. Terminal C builds upon the established MCO aesthetic of air, water and sky. It includes a seamless, low-touch environment that offers an exciting combination of concessions, interactive media displays and iconic architecture. Upon opening, Terminal C will serve up to 12 million passengers annually. It will also feature a new Federal Inspection Service (FIS) facility as well as 15 new gates (accommodating up to 20 aircraft). Amenities will include a nursing station and pet relief areas. At full build out, Terminal C can increase capacity at MCO up to 60 million passengers annually.
“This summer MCO will debut the new Terminal C, which is designed to support growing passenger volume and reinforce the airport’s reputation for excellence in traveller satisfaction,” said Curtis Fentress, FAIA Principal in Charge of Design with design architect Fentress Architects.
Design architect Fentress Architects, together with HNTB as architect of record, designed Terminal C to be an iconic gateway to the entire region.
“An airport should be reflective of the environment and region it serves as well as meet the needs of its passengers. For Orlando, that means architecturally identifying with subtropical vegetation and wildlife as well as numerous world-classattractions. It also means understanding a very diverse passenger profile; each with their own unique expectations of the Orlando Experience. Terminal C will offer passengers the best in technology and operations, and also a very friendly, hospitable environment,” said Fentress.
Among the terminal’s signature architectural elements is The Prow. It sets an uplifting tone at curbside, especially when seen against a dramatic Florida sky. Ambient natural light will flow in from this curbside curtainwall, as well as from the Terminal’s skylit spine. This will help bring the outdoors in and guides passengers to world-class amenities and onto their gate.
“Innovation and sophisticated design that reflects elements of the Central Florida community combine to deliver a world-class travel experience,” says Kevin Thibault, CEO, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. “Terminal C will be so much more than a transfer point from one place to another. It will serve as a multimodal memorable entryway for passengers visiting, living and working in the region.”
All major building elements—ticketing, security, concessions, gates and baggage claim—will be aligned along a Boulevard. This will lead passengers on a linear journey. A Grand Skylight that introduces dappled daylight and supports lush foliage will adorn this Boulevard.
“The tinted glass panels of the Grand Skylight dapple and diffuse sunlight, which creates an effect reminiscent of light coming through Orlando’s historic orange groves,” said Fentress.
The Boulevard will also connect Terminal C’s two signature civic spaces—Palm Court and Town Square—with the MCO’s Intermodal Terminal Facility. The Facility supports up to four rail systems, including Brightline’s inter-city service. Palm Court is located airside, at the terminus of the Boulevard skylight. It is the grandest of Terminal C’s civic spaces. As such, this vibrant location will feature shopping, experiential media, dining, socializing and relaxation lounges in a daylit, garden-like atmosphere. The design of second-story retail and lofted airline clubs means they will overlook Palm Court and its experiential media element, which will feature an interactive exploration of Orlando’s various destinations.
Meanwhile, Town Square is located landside, at the terminus of an elevated international arrivals corridor. This light-filled, spacious arrivals hall on the terminal’s upper-most level will provide a stark contrast to the buried baggage claims found in so many other airports. It is imbued with a sense of welcoming and openness to enhance the international and domestic passenger experience.
© Fentress Architects
With the help of recently developed baggage conveyance technology, Terminal C will reverse the traditional paradigm of arrivals on the lower level and departures on the upper level. Passengers arriving—often from long flights—will be directed to a unique and uplifting experience: the upper-most level of the terminal. Awash in filtered Central Florida sunlight with majestic views of the local natural environment, this immediate and immersive experience will at once orient travelers to both Orlando and the United States. Easy access to restrooms and concessions, in a pleasant environment, will further cater to travelers innate needs.
Departing travelers will have a similarly pleasant experience. Flexibility is the intention for everything from intuitive parking and drop-off areas to a new ticketing hall. Additionally, they are outfitted with kiosks and outstanding customer service representatives. Security will be similarly intuitive, orderly and responsive.
An Experiential Media Environment (EME) has been seamlessly integrated into the terminal’s architecture. All three EME elements specifically serve to celebrate the region’s dynamic identity. They also highlight for visitors the robust offerings of Central Florida’s natual and developed attractions.
An increasingly touchless experience will bolster international and domestic passenger growth at MCO. Touchpoints, also known as points of contact or interaction, occur at check-in, security, concessions, boarding, customs and more. These have long been hallmarks of the passenger experience. That said, over the past few decades, airport planners and designers have helped lessen the time spent at touchpoints. In doing so, they have made the airport experience both more efficient and pleasant.
Terminal C has the design of a linear/pier configuration. This minimizes transit times for departing passengers to an average of eleven minutes. Additionally, Terminal C will engage a variety of biometric devices including:
Terminal C will be as sustainable as possible thanks to a long list of design strategies. Strategies include the deployment of reduced water-consumption and irrigation systems, responsive lighting and temperature control systems. Also involved are solar panels, non-toxic adhesives and non-painted natural materials. Together, these and other strategies are likely to support an award of Silver or Gold LEED Certification by the US Green Building Council. If awarded, Terminal C will be the first LEED®v4 airport campus of any level in the world.
Established in 1905, Norway’s Embassy is located on the venerable Embassy Row in Washington, DC. It resides between the Vice President’s residence and the National Cathedral. Its 1970-era Chancery recently underwent an 30,000-square-foot expansion and renovation. Fentress Architects designed this essential element of Norway’s largest embassy complex in to be culturally symbolic. Additionally, the embassy is architecturally harmonious, modernized, sustainable and universally accessible.
Architecture can play a profound role in the diplomatic environment. Therefore, every element of the project was carefully considered for staff, guests, and diplomatic relations alike. Four principles guided this effort: Handlekraft (vigor), Arbeidsglede (joy of work), Profesjonalitet (professionalism) and Åpenhet (openness).
“While providing significant functional, accessibility and sustainability upgrades, our architecture makes Norway’s rich heritage visible on one of the most culturally significant streets in the world.”
— Steve White, Principal & Director of the Washington DC Office, Fentress Architects
The transformed Chancery is comprised of three elements: a stone shell, a cocoon, and a copper-clad mass timber hull. The mass and forms of the limestone-clad stone shell are deliberately segmented and scaled to show deference to the Ambassador’s residence. They blend harmoniously with the historic residential neighborhood. While the vast majority of the existing structure and limestone cladding were retained and restored, strategic interventions were made to the stone façade. They now open up new views of the garden and public street, block undesired views from neighbors, and introduce generous daylight within.
The wood-finned curtainwall cocoon wraps internal elements including the lobby atrium and Social Hub. It also extrudes externally to screen rooftop elements. An open stair connects a two-story space known as the “Social Hub.” This hub functions as a venue for staff to engage in intellectual dialogue and build community.
A copper-clad mass timber hull helps to demarcate and celebrate diplomatic spaces. Wrapped in copper, an open, gracious and accessible new entry to the Embassy results from lowering the original lobby structure seven feet and eliminating an associated obtrusive staircase. Copper cladding recalls Norway’s gift of copper for the Statue of Liberty. Adjacent to the entry is Atlantic Ocean Hall. This hall incorporates the old garden wall and captured underutilized courtyard space. Atlantic Ocean features a new mass timber structure that recalls Viking mastery of shipbuilding and woodworking. In rhythm with the historic windows, the structure’s spruce columns alternate in a triangular grid. This eliminates the need for additional cross bracing and creates a dramatic, yet intimate space for Norwegian hospitality and diplomacy. The mansard form of the roof is appropriate to the neighborhood and gives the Atlantic Ocean Hall its distinctive shape.
Given that sustainability is a tenet of the Embassy’s mission, it was also a tenet of the design. Reusing existing buildings is inherently more sustainable than new construction. Accordingly, we reused 90-percent of the existing structure with only 3,500 square feet added. Interventions focused on increasing program area within the existing footprint, enhancing the indoor and outdoor environment, and improving systems performance.
For example, previously underutilized areas are now flexible, multi-use rooms. Likewise, a spacious staff lunchroom can accomodate large informal meetings. It also provides food-prep support to Atlantic Ocean Hall and Courtyard functions. Smaller, multi-use spaces exist throughout both office wings. Flex spaces such as these, along with open office layouts, more easily accommodate future needs. In fact, all office spaces were completely reconfigured and improved. Likewise, a cold, dark, north-facing courtyard terrace between the two office wings was glazed-in. It now features a social gathering space and coffee bar.
Bioswales that harvest rainwater from roofs and gardens now flank the entry plaza. These bioswales feature native, pollinator-friendly garden species. Atlantic Ocean Hall opens out onto a large, terraced garden. The garden features structured turf for tented events, a rain garden with native species, flowering perennials, mature trees, and a semi-private Ambassador’s Walk. Additional sustainable strategies included:
[Atlantic Ocean Hall, a] year-round, indoor-outdoor space has already hosted climate-focused presentations and events, and turns diplomats and visitors into tree huggers.
— Arild Ravlo Hersleth, Project Manager, Statsbygg
Standby power, durable technology infrastructure, and a robust building enclosure system are among the many elements that reinforce structural resilience within the Chancery. In addition to being amply secure, the Chancery also features an accessible and transparent street presence. An internal elevator connects all levels. Restrooms are gender neutral. Textured stair landings assist the vision-impaired.
New and repurposed art pieces included further enliven the spaces. Metamorphosis—a significant larvikite granite sculpture by Knut Steen (1986)—was relocated to the garden. The building also features five new, specially-commissioned major installations. One of these is the 18-foot long Dreams Ahead, by Ann Cathrin November Høibo. This hangs in the lobby atrium space and is visible from the public right of way along 34th Street.
In April 2022 the Embassy Renovation Project won its first award from the Washington, DC Chapter of the AIA.
SACRAMENTO, CA—California State Parks and the California Indian Heritage Center Task Force today announced Fentress Architects as the firm to design the long-desired build out of the California Indian Heritage Center (CIHC). Once complete, visitors from across California, the nation, and the world will be drawn to this center of statewide significance. It will be a home for cultural preservation, learning and exchange, land stewardship based on Native American values, and a place to engage all visitors celebrating the living cultures of California tribal communities.
The 51-acre CIHC site is located at the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers in West Sacramento. The project constitutes a decades-long collaboration and demonstrates the state’s commitment to and responsibility for partnering with California Native American tribal governments and communities along with allied individuals and institutions to develop the site. CIHC’s design and development began in earnest with the commitment in the State’s 2018-2019 budget to invest $100 million in state funds. An additional $100 million was authorized in the budget for the phased buildout via private and philanthropic support. In December 2018, the Governor’s Office issued Executive Order B-60-18. This order directed the Tribal Advisor to establish a task force that would oversee the development of the CIHC. The Tribal Advisor established a CIHC Task Force of California Native American tribal and community leaders in 2019 to inform and lead the project until its completion.
In the next few months, the CIHC Task Force, California State Parks and Fentress Architects will kick off a public engagement process, including extensive tribal outreach. Members of the public and tribal communities who would like to be notified of upcoming events and/or receive information on how they can get involved with the project are invited to contact State Parks via email at CaliforniaIndian.HeritageCenter@parks.ca.gov or by visiting the project website at parks.ca.gov/CIHC. The project is anticipated to open to the public in 2028.
Fentress Architects was chosen out of 22 firms who submitted a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) for the project. The CIHC Task Force and California State Parks established a subcommittee to review and interview the design firms. Based jointly out of Denver, Colorado and Sacramento, California, Fentress Architects has designed 52 museums. Projects include gallery spaces and cultural heritage centers. Fentress Architects is partnering with Amatoollik Studios for Native American architecture consultation and tribal outreach, Dennis Hendricks from Tuolumne Band of Miwok Indians as the CIHC Tribal Liaison and James Pepper Henry, Vice Chairman Kaw Nation, and Director of First American Museum (FAM) in Oklahoma City for public engagement, outreach and expertise on museum operation and programming. The team brings over 35 years of experience in Native American outreach, public engagement and design throughout the U.S.
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California State Parks provides for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high quality outdoor recreation.
The Denver Art Museum Martin Building Renovation has been honored with the prestigious Chicago Athenaeum American Architecture Award, a testament to its visionary renovation. This project breathes new life into a cultural landmark.
Fentress Architects is excited to announce the winners of Fentress Global Challenge (FGC) 2021: Airport of the Future, which garnered over 80 entries from students around the globe. This year’s competition challenged students to envision airport mobility in the year 2100. The winning entries reflect the radical innovation, quality and curiosity required to advance airport terminal design.
Ferreras and Osiberu are third-year Master of Architecture students at North Carolina State University. Ferreras is a former high school math teather interested in connecting communities through advancements in technology and sustainability. Oluwarotimi came to United States in 2009 from Nigeria, Africa and is interested in spaces that foster healthy communities. Their entry imagines a new airport in Yokohama, Japan to help alleviate congestion at Tokyo International Airport. The new hub is designed to serve hypersonic, subsonic, and VTOL flights that will access the furthest corners of the earth. As a multimodal modal facility, it also incorporates rail systems and boats to fully link land, sea, and air. Concourses feature vast, traditional gardens and views to marine wildlife. Walkthough security and facial recognition scan passengers to create a seamless airport experience. An internal tram system helps move passengers and also offers views of gardens and nearby Mt. Fuji.
Wang, a student at the Yale School of Architecture, imagined an airport located on the northern corner of Atafu, Tokelau. It utilizes a series of sun powered runways that move to accommodate airplane operations. The airport also helps grow and then transplant coral from a nursery to reefs below. Travelers can take part in observing the process, which will subsequently help cultivate climate awareness.
Yang, a student at Singapore University of Technology and Design, chose Singapore Changi Airport as the site. This entry envisions a reconfigureable and dynamic airport that uses data and machine learning to reconfigure itself in response to demand. Passengers, such as business travelers or vacationing families, would have routes in unique directions to fit their specific needs. Reconfigurable pods would accommodate new retail experiences, attractions, and rest areas.
Assem, a student at University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy in Sofia, Bulgaria garnered the most votes on Facebook with an entry that is shaped as Voronoi cells using parametric design. Buildings have trees integrated and planes land and take off vertically from a platform.
At a time when infrastructure is of utmost importantance to so many communities, FGC affirms that the next generation of designers are capable of envisioning both sustainable and user-friendly solutions. Entrants needed to improve upon at least one primary factor influencing airport terminal building design in 2100 such as mobility, urbanization, globalization, technology, flexibility, security, project feasibility, and passenger experience. As for location, entrants were able to choose between siting the new terminal at an existing airfield—such as at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) or Beijing Capital International (PEK)—or on a yet undeveloped site—such as in Atafu, Tokelau or Canillo, Andorra.
“Passion for design and a creative mindset are the cornerstone of any successful design competition” said Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA, Principal in Charge of Design at Fentress Architects. “Each year, the submissions we receive are more innovative, sustainable, and dynamic than the prior year, which reveals an exciting outlook for the future of terminal design.”
The entries were evaluated on five criteria—creative approach and presentation; response to site; sustainability and resiliency; functionality; and innovation and technology—by a a jury of renowned professionals in the field of aviation, which included:
On November 4, 2021, travelers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) had the opportunity to participate in the airport’s first-ever art and culture-filled festival. Named Experience SEA @ N, it coincided with the opening of SEA’s new N Concourse, also known as the North Satellite Modernization Project. The airport debuted a dedicated performance stage on which artists performed live music, a poetry reading and spoken word. Other festival highlights included art tours, special promotions and samplings from Tundra Taqueria, SEA Roast Coffee House and Filson (opening in December).
“This event celebrates the natural and cultural richness of the Pacific Northwest,” said Port of Seattle Commission President Fred Felleman. “The building embodies our values of creating economic opportunities in an inclusive and environmentally responsible manner.”
The North Satellite Modernization Project elevates the travel experience with the comforts travelers crave. It specifically has more room, more views, and more Pacific Northwest feels. The newly renovated N Concourse features modern amenities as well as seismic upgrades, sustainable features and improved building function. Design Architect Fentress Architects and Architect of Record AECOM with Construction Company Hensel Phelps were responsible for the project.
Curtis Fentress, Principal in Charge of Design at Fentress Architects, said “N Concourse is now emblamatic of the Pacific Northwest, its majestic sights and sounds. Every element of the design works in concert to orient travelers as it greets visitors and welcomes home residents.” Indeed, this bigger, brighter and bolder space betters travelers’ experiences with more dining and retail options, a diverse art collection that reflects the culture, spirit and history of the region, nature inspired design and a brand-new performance stage.
Workers logged more than 2.1 million labor hours to build the facility over four years. It has ten new passenger gates and a spectacular Alaska Airlines Lounge. Also included is the airport’s first system to collect and reuse rainwater. Many built-in amenities make travel effortless for all.
“Hensel Phelps and our trade partners often come together to build complex projects, but the North Satellite Modernization Project was a unique opportunity to not only work through challenging logistics and safety, but to truly change the impression and experience of so many traveling to our area,” said Hensel Phelps Vice President Shannon Gustine. “This is a unique experience, and we are honored to have been a part of such an amazing team effort.”
In 2012, SEA introduced live music at the airport. It showcases the diversity of music culture in the Northwest while concurrently bettering the travel experience. Since the program’s launch, musicians have performed a wide range of styles from jazz to blues, folk and acoustic pop.
“Live music has been a part of the SEA scene for many years, but we have never hosted a festival of culture and arts at this scale,” said SEA Managing Director Lance Lyttle. “The debut performances on this stage will be something to remember with three music sets, one spoken word artist and the state’s Poet Laureate. Listen in, lean in and experience SEA.”
Prior to COVID-19, the airport hosted live music seven days a week. Experience SEA @ N was the first-time music filled the terminal since the beginning of the pandemic. It also inaugurated the stage in Marketplace at N, which lies at the heart of N Concourse.
