Airport Business - 29

AIRPORT DESIGN
A sustainable airport of the future
will be safe, recognizable, resourceful,
cozy, sleek, dynamic and forwardthinking. But above all, it will be
flexible to accommodate rapidly
evolving challenges, no matter how
difficult they are.

will soon be completed "in advance." public health standards and uphold safety
With mobile apps, travelers will be able
measures.
to do their check-in at home, in the
We must plan for f lexibility, a
hotel or on the way to the airport; And
concept which sounds simple but is far
luggage will have an electronic labeling
more complex to implement.
system which will be paper-free.
How can design balance functional
Temperature control tests will be
and security purposes while providing
GENSLER AND HDR IN ASSOCIATION WITH LUIS VIDAL + ARCHITECTS
implemented at airport entrances or
an environment that reduces stress and
in parking areas, which will turn into
anxiety?
includes managing a pandemic. An
registration and customer service areas.
We foresee broadening uses of the
airport often informs a traveler's first and
This will input another control measure
airports to include open space as well as
last impression of a city, region or even a
prior to airport entry.
a "taste of the outdoors" and pavilioncountry. It must mirror its community.
Electron ic ident if icat ion
like areas with ceilings allowing
It must provide for a positive and
exposure to sunlight. Spaces with long,
and sanitary "passports" will be
memorable experience at a facility that
electronically read without passengers
dreary hallways can be transformed into
is, in the best of times, busy, crowded
rummaging through bags and pockets. culture centers reflecting a city's history
and stressful.
or geographic strengths.
Artificial intelligence and big data will
Airports reflect what is going on in
allow security controls to be equipped
the world and, in fact, they manifest
with facial recognition and electronic Today's Cathedrals
our greatest challenges. From providing
passport screening. These steps will be
Airports are the cathedral of the 21st
for accessibility, to protecting against
completed prior to passenger entry into
century. We all inhabit them in one way
the terminal.
or another, and they forge relationships
terrorism and responding to climate
change, airports must answer society's
The use of new photocatalytic - with locations and people. In the best
changing demands in real time. Now, devices based on antibacterial, antiviral
of times, millions of people step into
and "autocleaning" material, such
amid a pandemic, architecture and
airports every day. They are essential
design must do even more: They must
as titanium dioxide, silver or copper, economic engines, as well as the largest
balance the feeling of freedom of
centers of connectivity. This is the
in high-use areas will become the
movement with the fear of uncertainty. norm. Furniture, wayf inding and
reason why I have devoted my life and
They must also contribute to the survival
career to the design of more than 10
other contact-heavy elements of
of a vital industry that generates activity, the space, think -elevator buttons, airports worldwide. Just like the airports'
wealth and cultural exchange.
host cities, we strive to connect people.
door handles, railings, etc., will be
This is why, as an industry, we need
redesigned and rearranged to adapt
Solution: Flexibility
to work quickly, efficiently and in a
to the new "contactless" reality. The
How can airport design manage
spaces will demand strict, long-lasting
coordinated way to ensure air travel
uncertainty and ensure security when
cleaning controls and regimen will
comfortably outlives COVID-19.
the threat we are facing is "global and
need to drastically increase, eliminating
A sustainable airport of the future
invisible," and directly related to our
pathogen collection on various surfaces. will be safe, recognizable, resourceful,
hyperconnected way of life? How can
These practices will become permanent
cozy, sleek, dynamic and forwardinfection be avoided in spaces/buildings
hygienic protocols.
thinking. But above all, it will be
that "move" a great amount of people?
f lexible to accommodate rapidly
The solution lies in "f lexibility," Eliminating Traveler
evolving challenges.
Stress
We will learn how to build a safer
or maximizing an airport´s square
footage to include and implement the
In the wake of COVID-19, we will
future. Humans have always had a need
new visible and invisible security actions
see the birth of new technologies. to travel, explore and discover - and
while ensuring social distancing and
But we will also see how architecture
then to return home safely to those we
cleaning. Space will be key.
increasingly utilizes natural light and
love. Our duty, as architects, is to make
The airport of the future is being
the journey memorable, iconic and safe,
ventilation. Both materials and other
whatever the scenario may be. 
designed now. What we imagined "analogic" methods will intuitively aid
as a possibility is now an imperative. a user's orientation and wayfinding
Technology will play a main role - within the terminal. They will also yield
however, it will have consequences in
a reduction in energy consumption and
Hear more from Luis and his
different areas, namely privacy.
also "humanize" these spaces. A stressthought on the future
free experience will be pivotal in an
Introducing New
area where both visible and invisible
of airport design in a
Technologies
controls guarantee security. This comes
recent episode of the
To reduce physical contact and avoid
as the fifth-generation airport discretely
AviationPros podcast.
congregation, certain processes that, identifies, verifies and collects users'
www.AviationPros.com/21143342
until now, occurred within the airport, digital information in order to maintain

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2020 \ AVIATIONPROS.COM / 29

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Airport Business

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Airport Business