Kansas City International Airport’s new 1 million-sf terminal has broken ground. The project, which is designed by SOM, will set a new standard for inclusivity and accessibility.
The 39-gate terminal will have the flexibility to expand to 50 gates in the future. At the entrance, a large overhang, supported by structurally expressed Y columns, and a glass facade will create a grand and transparent space while retail spaces and two concourses will step down toward a human scale. The rhythmic expressed steel structural system is balanced by a natural wood inlay to provide inviting spaces for passengers. Outdoor waiting areas will leverage the site’s surrounding natural landscape to provide a calming space.
The design forgoes creating a sprawling terminal and instead focuses on quick and seamless transitioning with a compact layout: walking distances are kept to a minimum, check-in and security are consolidated into one space, and a dual-level roadway will separate the vehicular traffic between arrivals and departures, with the terminal’s entrance and passenger-parking facilities located on either side to make the entire airport walkable.
The terminal will feature a variety of spaces with the goal of increasing inclusivity and accessibility. A multi-sensory room will provide a quiet and secure place for people with autism, dementia, or sensory processing disorders. An airplane simulation room will help people with anxiety or other conditions that create a fear of flying. This room allows people in experience and fear about air travel through true-to-life objects like a ticketing kiosk, gate door, passenger boarding bridge, and simulated aircraft cabin.
Other inclusivity and accessibility features include a meditation room, a family play zone, all gender restrooms, family restrooms, infant nursing rooms, service animal relief areas, and adult-assist changing rooms.
In addition to SOM, the build team also includes Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate (developer), and Clark | Weitz | Clarkson (design-builder).
The new terminal is targeting LEED Gold certification. The project is slated for completion in 2023.
Related Stories
Sponsored | | Nov 12, 2014
Eye-popping façade highlights renovation, addition at Chaffin Junior High School
The new distinctive main entrance accentuates the public face of the school with an aluminum tube “baguette” system.
| Oct 26, 2014
New York initiates design competition for upgrading LaGuardia, Kennedy airports
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that the state would open design competitions to fix and upgrade New York City’s aging airports. But financing construction is still unsettled.
| Oct 16, 2014
Perkins+Will white paper examines alternatives to flame retardant building materials
The white paper includes a list of 193 flame retardants, including 29 discovered in building and household products, 50 found in the indoor environment, and 33 in human blood, milk, and tissues.
| Oct 12, 2014
AIA 2030 commitment: Five years on, are we any closer to net-zero?
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the American Institute of Architects’ effort to have architecture firms voluntarily pledge net-zero energy design for all their buildings by 2030.
| Sep 24, 2014
Architecture billings see continued strength, led by institutional sector
On the heels of recording its strongest pace of growth since 2007, there continues to be an increasing level of demand for design services signaled in the latest Architecture Billings Index.
| Sep 22, 2014
4 keys to effective post-occupancy evaluations
Perkins+Will's Janice Barnes covers the four steps that designers should take to create POEs that provide design direction and measure design effectiveness.
| Sep 22, 2014
Sound selections: 12 great choices for ceilings and acoustical walls
From metal mesh panels to concealed-suspension ceilings, here's our roundup of the latest acoustical ceiling and wall products.
| Sep 15, 2014
Ranked: Top international AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Parsons Brinckerhoff, Gensler, and Jacobs top BD+C's rankings of U.S.-based design and construction firms with the most revenue from international projects, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Sep 9, 2014
Using Facebook to transform workplace design
As part of our ongoing studies of how building design influences human behavior in today’s social media-driven world, HOK’s workplace strategists had an idea: Leverage the power of social media to collect data about how people feel about their workplaces and the type of spaces they need to succeed.
| Sep 8, 2014
First Look: Foster + Partners, Fernando Romero win competition for Mexico City's newest international airport
Designed to be the world’s most sustainable airport, the plan uses a single, compact terminal scheme in lieu of a cluster of buildings, offering shorter walking distances and fewer level changes, and eliminating the need for trains and tunnels.
