Airport of the Future 2021

Global Student Competition Shortlist Announced

Fentress Architects is excited to announce the ten shortlisted entries for the 2021 Fentress Global Challenge (FGC), which garnered more than 80 entries from students around the globe. FGC is an annual international student design competition launched in 2011 by Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA that encourages and rewards innovative design in public architecture. This year’s competition challenged students to envision airport mobility in the year 2100.

Students 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)—and a yet undeveloped site—such as in Atafu, Tokelau or Canillo, Andorra.

Entrants explored various modes of transport, including pods for intra-airport transport. Other methods of inter-airport transport proposed included mag-lev cars, drones, hyperloops, hydrofoils, and air-rails. Additionally, several different types of aircraft were studied including anti-gravity, vertical take off, rockets, and spaceships.

Entries were evaluated based upon five criteria, including technology and sustainability. Some submssions specifically envisoned airports able to create their own biofuel from algae and symbiotic bacteria. Others created floating structures that sought to restore coral reefs and ocean ecosystems. Most designs derived shape and form from biomimicry and parametric equations. Many also incorporated gardens, greenhouses, photovoltaic cells, and wind. Artificial intelligence helped enhance several of functions and addressed issues such as COVID-19 and terrorism. Furthermore, 3D printing and modular structures were two of several new building techniques explored.

The 2021 Shortlist

  • AJQ GROUP – Qian Yu, Alexandra Terekhova, Joseph Cook – University of Applied Arts Vienna, Austria
  • Urban Travelator – Dinel Meyepa – Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
  • Astra – Jonathan Liang, Martin He – Columbia University, New York City, USA
  • Decentralized Airport – Tam Dinh – University of Architecture Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
  • Ferreras + Osiberu – Carmina Ferreras, Oluwarotimi Osiberu – North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
  • Adaptive Antifragile – Gee Yang Tan – Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore
  • The Future Cell – Assem Attia – UACEG, Sofia, Bulgaria
  • AILY – Liyang Wang – Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
  • Synergistic Airport – Baoqi Xiao – University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
  • The Heathrow Hive – Jack Hastie – University Collge London, UK

A jury of renowned airport architects, directors, planners, and scholars will judge the shortlist virtually. Winners will be announced December 1, 2021. First, Second, and Third Place will recieve a total of $20,000 USD in cash prizes. Additionally, two People’s Choice Awards will be given, which carry a $1,000 USD cash prize, Voting for People’s Choice has already begun on the Fentress Architects Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/FentressArch/.

AIA Western Mountain Region Recognizes Fentress Architects

25-Year Award for Denver International Airport’s Passenger Terminal Complex and the Special Recognition Award for Miami Beach Convention Center

The 2021 American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Western Mountain Region (WMR) Design Awards were presented last Thursday, October 1 at the annual AIA WMR Summit, which was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

­2021 AIA Western Mountain Region Twenty-Five Year Award: Denver International Airport (DEN) Passenger Terminal

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Western Mountain Region selected the Denver International Airport (DEN) Passenger Terminal as the recipient of the 2021 Twenty-Five Year Award. As one of the most prestigious honors for Colorado’s built environment, the award is presented annually to a project that has “significantly influenced design and lifestyle in Colorado” and features a “timeless and enduring design that has created a sense of place” for at least 25 years.

“Our vision for DEN’s Passenger Terminal was to create a memorable design—a gateway to Colorado and the West,” said Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA, Principal in Charge of Design at Fentress Architects. “Twenty five years later, the design continues to transcend time and is known around the world. I would like to thank AIA Colorado Honor Awards Jury, the entire project team, and my former partner Jim Bradburn.”

Completed in 1995, Fentress’ design for DEN’s Jeppesen Terminal stimulated a paradigm shift in the way architects and the public perceive airport design. Previously, airports were conceived as ‘people processors’—nondescript warehouses comprised of low ceilings and dim lighting. Fentress sought to change this notion by creating an airport that serves as a symbol of Denver and a gateway welcoming all to Colorado and the West; architecture as memorable as it is functional.

To create a significant airport, the terminal’s design embodies forms and materials native to the Rocky Mountain region. Peaked roof forms rise 130 to 150 feet, evoking a sense that one has stepped onto the snowcapped mountains that inspired the building’s architecture. This context-driven design marks the first time an airport became a timeless icon of a region through expressive forms.  It inspired the architecture of hundreds of airports worldwide.

2021 AIA Western Mountain Region Special Recognition Award: Miami Beach Convention Center

Miami Beach Convention Center won the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Special Recognition Award for 2021. Located in the heart of the city, the 1950’s-era Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) needed a transformation befitting its reputation as a world-class entertainment destination.  The venue has become renown for hosting preeminent annual events including Art Basel and eMERGE Americas. The Fentress team, together with Arquitectonica, mined the surrounding culture and context to create a design that is quintessentially South Florida, and has become a contextual representation of the city.

One of the greatest challenges was harmonizing the 1.4-million-square-foot, grand scale building with the intimacy of human scale to create flexible, intuitive, and daylit spaces. Inspired by undulating ocean waves, exterior façade “fins”—angled aluminum linear forms—filter light to create a dappled effect within the building’s daylit lobbies and pre-function spaces.  This provides visitors with a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor environments. Contextual inspiration was brought inside with colors and patterns that emulate receding water, sea foam, and local coral reef patterns.

BNA’s New Concourse D Receives Top Award

Southeast Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives Names Concourse D ‘Commercial Airport Architectural Project of the Year’

Nashville International Airport®

Excerpt: Less than a year after opening, Nashville International Airport’s state-of-the-art Concourse D has earned airport industry acclaim for excellence. The Southeast Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives (SEC-AAAE) this week announced Concourse D as the recipient of its 2021 Commercial Airport Architectural Project of the Year Award, an industry-recognized mark of distinction for BNA’s fourth major concourse.

“We are honored to receive this award from SEC-AAAE and are immensely proud of the Concourse D project,” said Doug Kreulen, BNA’s president and CEO. “This award represents more than two years of hard work that resulted in a multi-faceted modern concourse for BNA travelers. It also signifies $55 million in contracts for small, minority and woman-owned business enterprises (SMWBEs), a 72 percent local workforce and a commitment to sustainability. It’s BNA at its best, and we thank our SEC-AAAE colleagues for this tremendous recognition.”

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Building Design+Construction Ranks Fentress Architects Among Nation’s Top Architecture Firms

#5 Convention Centers + Conference Centers

#8 Airport Terminal

#10 Museums

Fentress Architects has ranked as one of the top architecture firms in Building Design + Construction Magazine’s 2020 Giants 400 Report. Internationally known for innovative, award-winning design of diverse building types—including airports, museums, convention centers, civic and government buildings, laboratories, and higher education facilities—Fentress ranked #36 on the Top 155 Architecture Firms list, progressing nine places from its 2019 ranking at #45.

In addition to the firm’s recognition as one of the Top Architecture Firms for 2020, Fentress, whose portfolio features over 40 convention center designs including the recently completed LEED Silver Miami Beach Convention Center, is ranked #5 in the Convention Centers / Conference Centers sector. With over $23.8 Billion and 115 Million square feet in aviation projects, the firm is ranked #8 in the Airport Terminal sector. Fentress also landed #22 in the overall Cultural Facilities sector, #10 in the Museums and Galleries category, #63 in the Office – Buildings / Core+Shell sector, and #98 in Office – All Building Work.

“We are proud that our firm was recognized for our continuous efforts to elevate design excellence in public architecture,” said Fentress Architects Principal in Charge of Design Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA. “Our ability to drive growth throughout the industry reflects our team’s unwavering commitment to innovation, along with the collaborative efforts of our clients and project partners.”

Miami Beach Convention Center. Photo: ©Tom Clark

Over the past year, Fentress’ projects achieved major milestones including the completion of four world-class projects: the new Johnson County Courthouse in Olathe, KS; the new Concourse D and Terminal Wings at Nashville International Airport® in Nashville, TN, which also became one of only five airport facilities in the US to achieve LEED v4 Silver certification; the Terminal Balancing and Concourse E Extension at Portland International Airport in Portland, OR; the Denver Art Museum North Building Renovation and Anna and John J. Sie Welcome Center in Denver, CO; and the Miami Beach Convention Center Expansion and Renovation in Miami Beach, FL, which also achieved LEED Silver certification.

Denver International Airport Passenger Terminal Complex. Credit © Ellen Jaskol

As a testament to Fentress’ recognition, the firm garnered 16 awards for design excellence and innovation in 2020 alone, including the American Institute of Architecture (AIA) Colorado’s Twenty-Five Year Award for the Denver International Airport as well as the AIA Western Mountain Region’s Twenty-Five Year Award for the Clark County Government Center. The Miami Beach Convention Center landed a Silver Award in the Façade category of the 2020 World Architecture News (WAN) Awards and a 2020 BEST Award in the Serve category from the International Design Association’s (IIDA) Rocky Mountain Chapter.

Rendering of the Royal Norwegian Embassy Chancery Renovation. 

Positioned for a strong 2021, Fentress is anticipating the upcoming completion of the Fred D. Thompson Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Nashville, TN as well as the Royal Norwegian Embassy Chancery Renovation in Washington, DC. Additionally, the firm is working on the new South Terminal C at Orlando International Airport, the Terminal Lobby and International Arrivals Facility at Nashville International Airport, the new Mickey Leland International Terminal at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, the U.S. Courthouse Huntsville, Alabama, and the National Museum of Intelligence and Special Operations—just to name a few.

Sustainable Design Takes Flight at Nashville International Airport’s New Concourse D

BNA’s Concourse D is One of Only Five LEED v4 Silver Airport Facilities in the United States

Fentress Architects is pleased to announce that the new Concourse D at Nashville International Airport (or BNA, as it is also known) has achieved LEED Silver certification, highlighting the project’s sustainable, wellness-oriented design and construction process. This distinction makes Concourse D one of only five newly constructed airport facilities in the United States, and one of nine airport facilities worldwide, to earn LEED Silver under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) rigorous LEED v4 standards.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and an international symbol of excellence. LEED v4’s flexible, performance-based approach and progressive sustainability benchmarks are designed to optimize building performance and support occupant health and wellbeing.

“Fentress Architects has been at the forefront of green building design for over four decades,” said Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA, Principal in Charge of Design at Fentress Architects. “Energy conservation is a key element of not only our design approach, but our values as a firm. We are proud to have leveraged our expertise, along with the commitment of all partners involved in this significant project, to realize BNA’s forward-thinking sustainability standards.”

The Hensel Phelps | Fentress Architects Progressive Design-Build Team completed the $292 million, 115,000-square-foot expansion of Concourse D in July 2020, marking a major milestone for BNA® Vision—the dynamic expansion and renovation plan for Nashville International Airport. The project elevates the airport as a world-class facility with six domestic aircraft gates, public art, diverse traveler amenities, and improved ramp amenities and function space.

“LEED certification is a coveted mark of environmental distinction and innovation,” said BNA President and CEO Doug Kreulen. “We’re building not only a bigger airport, but also a better, ‘greener,’ more sustainable airport. I’m proud of our commitment to these principles and appreciative of all the hard work that went into obtaining this recognition.”

The project team’s integrative and passenger-centric approach incorporated several green design and construction components to optimize building performance and passenger comfort while minimizing environmental impacts, including:

  • Electrochromic glass that blocks out excessive sunlight and heat for passengers’ comfort while reducing glare and energy consumption for climate control;
  • Energy efficient and programmable lighting that dims when natural light is adequate for visibility;
  • Focus on human health and wellness with features including an abundance of daylighting, green cleaning practices, water bottle filling stations, public art installations, and more;
  • Light-colored building and paving materials that retain less heat, reducing energy use while mitigating heat-island effect;
  • Geothermal cooling reduces energy consumption and costs for climate control;
  • Water-conserving plumbing; and
  • Waste-reduction focus with recycling bins throughout the concourse and 80 percent of construction waste diverted from landfills.

Other key project partners include Corgan (master architect for BNA® Vision), I.C. Thomasson Associates Inc. (mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineer), Smith Seckman Reid Inc. (commissioning agent), and S&ME (civil engineer/landscape designer).

“At every stage of the project, from the design process to construction, the project team remained committed to aligning our approach with the airport’s sustainability targets,” said Deborah Lucking, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Director of Sustainability at Fentress Architects. “Fentress is committed to advancing sustainability and human wellness in the built environment and achieving LEED v4 Silver showcases the project team’s dedication to going far beyond the minimum LEED requirements to achieve certification.”

As a Top Green Design Firm in the U.S., Fentress’ portfolio includes several world-class, sustainable airport facilities such as Mineta San Jose International Airport’s Terminal B (LEED Silver); Los Angeles International Airport’s Tom Bradley International Terminal (LEED Gold); Sacramento International Airport’s Terminal B (LEED Silver); and San Francisco International Airport Replacement Airport Traffic Control Tower (LEED Gold). Fentress recently completed the new Concourse E Extension at Portland International Airport, which is expected to achieve LEED Gold certification. Additionally, the firm has several green airport projects underway, including Orlando International Airport’s new South Terminal C (on track to achieve LEED certification) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport’s Mickey Leland International Terminal (designed to LEED Silver).

2020 ‘Airport of the Future’ Global Student Design Competition Winners Announced

Winning Projects Reimagine Airport Mobility in the Year 2100 for One of the 20 Busiest Airports in the World

The Green Gateway—a zero-emission, highly sustainable multimodal hub—has been named the winner for the 2020 Fentress Global Challenge (FGC), an annual global student design competition launched in 2011 by Fentress Architects that represents the firm’s commitment to advancing innovative design in public architecture and attracts students from around the world.

Envisioning the Airport of the Future

With over 100 submissions from students in over 15 countries, this year’s competition challenged participants to envision airport mobility in the year 2100. Participants proposed a diverse spectrum of design concepts to improve the airport passenger terminal building, addressing the key factors such as futuristic transportation technologies, urbanization, globalization, technology, flexibility, security, project feasibility, and passenger experience.

The 2020 winning proposals reflect the radical innovation, quality and curiosity required to advance airport terminal design. The first-place prize is valued at USD$15,000, second place USD$3,000, third place USD$2,000, and the two People’s Choice Awards will receive USD$1,000.

“A deep passion for design and a creative mindset are the cornerstone of any successful design competition submission,” said Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA, Principal in Charge of Design at Fentress Architects. “Each year, the submissions we receive are more innovative, spirited and dynamic than the prior year, which shows an exciting outlook for the future of terminal design. We’re greatly impressed by this year’s winners and every submission we received.”  

First-Place Winner: BANIYA, The Green Gateway, designed by Nikhil Bang and Kaushal Tatiya from the Southern California Institute of Architecture.

A Green Gateway

The winning concept, designed by Nikhil Bang and Kaushal Tatiya from the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), transforms Indira Gandhi International Airport into a forward-thinking, sustainable multimodal hub that mitigates the enivironmental impacts of air travel while enhancing mobility across New Delhi, India—one of the most populated and polluted cities in the world. The design, dubbed “the Green Gateway,” proposes a future where airports are more than buildings; they provide a seamless connection to the cultural context of the site, from their planning to their form and materiality.

Embracing sustainable design strategies, the zero-emission concept features a decentralized system of one central terminal and six towers dispersed throughout the city. The towers provide a dual purpose, working as both air-purifying centers and stations for flying cars. This solution significantly improves mobility across the city by replacing domestic flights as one of the major sources of pollution.

The students’ submission describes the airport’s design as “zero-emission at the macro and micro level, improving mobility across the city by replacing domestic flight as one of the major sources of pollution and making air travel a person affair.”

Second-Place Winner: Sejkul, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Drive-In Airport by Dušan Sekulic, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Second Place Winner

What does travel and transportation look like in 2100? According to second-place winner Dušan Sekulic—a student at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia—fully autonomous pods, driving chairs, AI-powered navigation, and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft will be key ingredients to designing the next-gen airport experience. The concept proposes reimagining Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)—the busiest airport in the world—as a drive-in airport where travelers’ individual pods and driving chairs bring them directly to the aircraft. Playing off of Atlanta’s reputation as a “city in the forest,” the new ATL will feature a green design approach, merging the airport with the city’s skyline to create an “airport in the forest.”

Third-Place Winner: W.A.D, Floating Aero City designed by Yuanxiang Chan, Chaofan Zhang, and Zhuangzhuang King from Beijing Jiaotong University.

Third Place Winner

This year’s third-place winner responded to an ever-important reality: how airport design can prepare airports located in high-density seaside cities to adapt to the effects of climate change. Floating Aero City, designed by Yuanxiang Chan, Chaofan Zhang, and Zhuangzhuang King from Beijing Jiaotong University, provides a highly visionary approach to sustainable design. Located in Hong Kong, the airport responds to the site’s subtropical climate conditions and high-density issues. Floating on Hong Kong’s ocean, the airport’s three-dimensional, moveable platform reduces the impact on the natural terrain while increasing available land. The structure’s vertical form significantly reduces the time it takes passengers to flow from check-in to boarding, enhancing the overall passenger experience. Sustainable design strategies include daylighting, tidal power generation, a circular runway and hydrogen-powered aircraft.

#1 People’s Choice Award Winner: Arch YiYang, The Vertebrae, designed by Yi Yang Chai and Sharon Cho from the University of Malaya.

People’s Choice Awards

The Vertebrae, designed by Yi Yang Chai and Sharon Cho from the University of Malaya, won the #1 People’s Choice Award with more than 6,200 public votes. The biophilic design harmonizes the built environment with nature to create a “garden city”—the future airport archetype that forms a contextual representation of its culture. Located in Singapore, the concept infuses a biophilic and sustainable approach into every element of the design to renvision the airport as a model of sustainability while amplifying the country’s national identity.

#2 People’s Choice Award Winner: RIE, O’Pon the Hill, designed by Ridwan Arifin, Imaduddin Dhia Ul-Fath and Ervin Dwiratno from Yogyakarta University of Technology

Garnering over 5,900 public votes, O’Pon the Hill Airport landed the #2 People’s Choice Award. Designed by Ridwan Arifin, Imaduddin Dhia Ul-Fath and Ervin Dwiratno from Yogyakarta University of Technology, the concept blends culture, history and technology to envision the future of O’Hare International Airport. This futuristic terminal features a Smart Air Pad to accommodate vertical take-off and landing. Equipped with nanotechnology, the Smart Air Pad examines the performance of aircraft. Additionally, People Mover Pods move passengers throughout the terminal, enhancing circulation and the overall passenger experience.

2020 Fentress Global Challenge Jurors

This year’s winners were handpicked by seven esteemed jurors that are experts in aviation, architecture and engineering.

Jury members include:

  • Curtis W. Fentress, FAIA, RIBA – Principal in Charge of Design, Fentress Architects
  • Agatha Kessler – Chairman, Fentress Architects
  • Lois Kramer – CEO, KRAMER aerotek inc.
  • George Miller – Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP
  • Dr. Patricia A. Ryan – President, Decision Services International
  • Somer Shindler – Owner, J. Shindler Solutions
  • Bradley D. Schulz, FAIA

Looking Ahead

The future of aviation and airport terminal design is an ever-changing vision. The Fentress Global Challenge provides an essential platform for students to test their innovation and fuel their creativity. With the new year quickly approaching, Fentress is excited to prepare for the 2021 Fentress Global Challenge. Registration will soon go live. To stay updated on next year’s competition, please visit: https://fentressglobalchallenge.com/.

2020 ‘Airport of the Future’ Global Student Design Competition Shortlist Announced

2020 Fentress Global Challenge Entry. Team: Schiphol International, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, North Carolina State University.

Fentress Architects is excited to announce 22 entries have been shortlisted for the 2020 Fentress Global Challenge (FGC), which garnered more than 100 entries from students in over 15 countries.  FGC is an annual international student design competition launched in 2011 by Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA that encourages and rewards innovative design in public architecture. This year’s competition challenged students to envision airport mobility in the year 2100.

“Each year I am ever more impressed by the vision, creativity, and practicality set forth by these young architects,” said Curtis Fentress who is also Principal in Charge of Design at Fentress Architects. “This year’s shortlist couldn’t be more diverse; they range from a modular floating terminal to a self-growing airport integrated into the site’s ecosystem. Each concept pioneers creativity, advances innovation and recognizes real solutions that would enhance the passenger experience of 2100.”

Of the over 100 entries judged last month by a panel of architects and designers at Fentress Architects, most explored one of the following areas: Futuristic Mobility, Mitigation of COVID-19 and Zero-Emission.

Futuristic Mobility

Flying air pods carry passengers and their baggage to and from their home. Team: CGC, HK22, Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Several submissions built upon recent developments in futuristic transportation—from the Hyperloop to autonomous vehicles—to imagine the airport of the future as a multimodal hub equipped to handle next-generation aircraft, space travel, autonomous transportation, integration of the hyperloop, and even autonomous pods. Concepts ranged from terminals with launchpads for spaceflight and underground Hyperloop connections to the replacement of aircraft with self-flying autonomous pods.​

Mitigating COVID-19

This concept reimagines Heathrow International Airport as a “healing hub” that monitors and treats disease carriers. Team: S.T., Heathrow Healing Hub, Tel-Aviv University.

The current pandemic inspired a wide range of ideas on how airport design might help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, which may be more prevalent in 2100. Fully touchless airports as well as terminals that dual function as “healing hubs” were among the concepts that sought to create health-centric, comfortable, and efficient travel experiences.

Zero-Emission Airports

The Green Gateway transforms Indira Gandhi International Airport into a zero-mission, sustainable airport. Team: BANIYA, The Green Gateway, Southern California Institute of Architecture.

A number of submissions utilized cutting-edge solutions as a means to develop zero-emission airport facilities. Among the forward-thinking ideas submitted were airports that integrate with the surrounding ecosystem; terminals reimagined as greenhouses; and decentralized air purifying towers.

The 22 contestants will be judged virtually by a jury of renowned airport architects, directors, planners, and scholars. Winners will be announced in October.

The 2020 Shortlist:

  • W.A.D, Floating Aero City – Hong Kong International Airport, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China
  • Arch YiYang, The Vertebrae – Singapore Changi Airport, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • BANIYA, The Green Gateway – Indira Gandhi International Airport, Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arch), Los Angeles, California, USA
  • Ajay Kamaleshwaran, CornUcopia – Indira Gandhi International Airport, Anna University School of Architecture and Planning, Chennai, India
  • TIArch Studio, The Reserve – Indira Gandhi International Airport, Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering, TIArch Studio, Kazan, Russia
  • Qianqian YU, ReBABEL – Hong Kong International Airport, Special School of Architecture (École Spéciale d’Architecture), Paris, France
  • Beyond Heathrow, A New Airport for London – Heathrow Airport, The Barlett – University College London, London, England
  • S.T., Heathrow Healing Hub – Heathrow Airport, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
  • Schiphol International, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
  • ISM, Resonance of the Antiquity – Indira Gandhi International Airport, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh 
  • Lucy Janik, LAX Airport Relocation – Los Angeles International Airport, Cracow University of Technology, Kraków, Poland 
  • Qian Lin and Umica Yelavarthy, Shanghai Pudong International Airport of the Future, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
  • Henry Alridge, A Built-In Obsolescence – Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England 
  • CGC, HK22 – Hong Kong International Airport, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA 
  • CRAB, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
  • PRAXIS, Modular Floating Airport, Singapore University of Technology & Design, Singapore 
  • RIE, O’Pon on the Hill, Yogyakarta University of Technology, Sleman, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, Indonesia
  • Sejkul, Drive-In Airport 2100 – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Architecture, Ljubljana, Slovenia 
  • Ryerson University, Head in the Clouds, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada
  • Marklin Huynh, Istanbul International Airport Asian Terminal, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA 
  • M3DMA, Tokyo Gate – Tokyo International (Haneda) Airport, Gdansk University of Technology, Gdańsk, Poland 
  • Oporajeyo, The City Lungs – Indira Gandhi International Airport, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

The shortlist will be judged virtually by a jury of renowned airport architects, directors, planners, and scholars. Winners will be announced in October.

Download photos for each shortlisted submission here: https://fentressarchitects.sharefile.com/d-s1951dc06fc2439bb.

Download the 2020 press kit here: https://fentressarchitects.sharefile.com/share/view/sa8e559d0df6464ab.

Fentress Architects Celebrates Completion of Concourse D at BNA

On Friday, July 17, the first Southwest Airlines flight took off from the new Concourse D at Nashville International Airport (BNA). Delivered by the Hensel Phelps | Fentress Architects Progressive Design-Build Team, the 115,000-square-foot expansion signifies a major milestone for BNA Vision – a dynamic expansion and renovation plan aimed at maintaining the airport’s status as a world-class facility to keep pace with the airport’s record-breaking passenger volumes and projected growth.

The new concourse is a key element of the $292 million, 315,000-square-foot Concourse D and Terminal Wings Expansion project. It will significantly enhance the passenger experience as the airport continues to bring BNA Vision to reality. As Concourse D opens, Hensel Phelps and Fentress Architects are at work on another major project at BNA: a substantial terminal lobby renovation and state-of-the-art International Arrivals Facility, will be completed in late 2023.

“The new Concourse D elevates the passenger experience as a state-of-the-art facility with modern finishes that will delight travelers as they come and go at BNA,” said Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA, Principal in Charge of Design at Fentress Architects. “The flexible design allows the airport to accommodate future growth, passenger needs, evolving technology and aviation trends, all while creating a modern gateway befitting Nashville’s world-class prominence. We’re excited to continue working with the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority and Hensel Phelps to bring the BNA Vision to life.”

The 115,000-square-foot expansion of Concourse D adds six new domestic aircraft gates, public art, and a variety of traveler amenities, along with improved ramp amenities and function space. Additional components of the project include a 136,000-square-foot renovation of existing terminal space and a new 11,000-square-foot Central Utility Plant to heat and cool the terminal.

“The new Concourse D gives us more capacity for commercial air service to meet the rising demand for travel to and from Nashville,” said Doug Kreulen, MNAA president and CEO. “At the same time, it’s an impressive, energy efficient structure reflective of the world-class airport that is taking shape. BNA Vision is an exciting series of projects, and there’s much more to come. We are proud to serve Nashville and Middle Tennessee.”

This fall, the team will complete BNA’s 200,000-square-foot North and South Terminal Wings Expansions, providing for interim TSA checkpoints, permanent ticketing check-in counters, baggage claim devices and support offices.

In response to coronavirus (COVID-19), the project team implemented safety and social distancing protocols in line with CDC guidelines to strengthen the wellbeing of both project team members and passengers while creating a safe and healthy airport experience. Developing an adaptive and agile response, the team delivered Concourse D on time.

IPI Awards SJC Interim Facility Project Team with Diamond Partnering Level Award

Construction collaboration to build SJC’s Interim Facility wins international honors

SAN JOSE, CAMineta San José International Airport (SJC), Hensel Phelps (HP), Fentress Architects, Southwest Airlines and OrgMetrics LLC together won the International Partnering Institute’s (IPI) distinguished Diamond Partnering Level Award for their construction collaboration in building SJC’s Interim Facility in Terminal B. IPI honors organizations and individuals who have worked to make the construction industry more collaborative for a successful outcome.

SJC’s Interim Facility was built as a temporary solution to accommodate SJC’s rapid passenger growth over the past four years. Six additional gates were added in this temporary facility to meet Silicon Valley’s ongoing demand for travel at SJC. Additionally, the Interim Facility is intended to serve passengers until the Airport’s future expansion of a new terminal is realized, as a part of the Airport’s Updated Master Plan.

Planning for the Interim Facility Project began in early 2018, with a fast-paced schedule to open four gates as soon as feasible. Roughly four months into planning, Airport officials saw an opportunity to fund two additional gates, resulting in a total of six new gates housed in the interim facility – all planned, designed, built, and operational in under a year.

“The success of this very aggressive 11-month timeline is credited to the partnership and shared vision of our partners and stakeholders,” said John Aitken, SJC Director of Aviation. “We are grateful to our Airline and Construction partners who provided strong teams to work with us in San Jose, and also to IPI for recognizing the value of this collaboration. While the new space succeeded in meeting our need at the time during daily record-breaking passenger growth, it now also offers us added flexibility to accommodate new realities such as social distancing.”

OrgMetrics LLC, a professional partnering facilitator, successfully guided the team through each phase of the construction project. With regular partnering sessions and a highly performing team, the first five gates opened in June 2019, while the final gate opened in time for the busy holiday traffic in November 2019.

In addition to the six additional gates, the $58 million Interim Facility provides more concessions space, additional restrooms, and allows for more flight scheduling flexibility for airlines to support current airport operations and future growth.

HP served as the primary construction contractor for the Interim Facility, while Fentress Architects provided the design of the building. Currently, all six gates in the Interim Facility are operated by Southwest Airlines.

Source: Mineta San Jose International Airport

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