San Diego International Airport will cut the ribbon on its shiny new $3.8 billion Terminal 1 on Tuesday, 23 September, and say goodbye to the old Terminal 1, which has been in service since 1967. 

A design-build project by the Gensler architecture firm and construction contractor Turner-Flatiron, the 1.2 million-square-foot terminal opens with 19 gates (11 more will open later), 66 counter positions, 69 check-in kiosks and 13 security lanes at one central checkpoint.

There are also seven baggage claim carousels (up from three), an outdoor deck, five commissioned public art pieces, and 17 concessions (13 more will open later). Two lounges, one common use and one for Delta Air Lines, are in the works. 

Like all those numbers, airport terminals can be overwhelming, but this one was intentionally designed to be “open and inviting — a glassy pavilion in a garden,” said Terence Young, principal and design director for Gensler. 

From outside the terminal, on the elevated departures roadway, passengers and visitors can see directly into the ticketing hall thanks to Luminous Wave, an 800-foot-long, 33-foot-tall glass and metal artwork by James Carpenter that doubles as the front wall of the terminal. 

Art and amenities

In addition to its bright and open design, SAN’s new terminal offers plenty of art and amenities.

Nova Jiang’s shimmering Torrey Pines hangs over the TSA security checkpoint lines and the six columns covered in a million mosaic tiles in the post-security recomposure area make up Amy Ellington’s site-specific artwork, A Day in the Sun. 

Elsewhere in the terminal look for Sandcast, by Charles R. Faust, an aviation-themed piece from 1966 that has been reinstalled in the ticket lobby and Erwin Redl’s LED light fixture, Vessel of Light, over the stage area in the dining hall. 

Beyond the dining hall is a large outdoor terrace open to all with tables and seating for about 350 and views to San Diego Bay and downtown. 

Outside, travelers will see Migrations, by Walter Hood, featuring giant red and yellow bird-like sculptures. The huge pink jellyfish on the arrivals curbside is RISE, by Matthew Mazzotta, the artist who created Phoebe, the giant flamingo at Tampa International Airport. 

As for creature comforts, architects and designers gave plenty of attention to creating comfortable gate hold areas. In each, passengers will find multi-port charging stations directly accessible at about 50% of the seats.

Passengers can choose from family-friendly sofa seating, lounge chairs, productivity bars for laptop users and traditional airport ‘beam’ seating with a double arm rest arrangement that offers more personal space to each user and results in more people using the seats, said Andy Huang, senior associate and a design director with Gensler. 

And then there are the restrooms. Each bank is large, well-lit and with plenty of stalls that open inwards.

Stall doors have occupied (red), and unoccupied (green) signage and each sink has three fixtures: one for soap, one for water and, as a bonus, a personal hand dryer. 

“We still have paper towel dispensers,” said Angela Shafer-Payne, SAN’s chief development officer. “But we’ve all had that experience where you’ve washed your hands and you look over and you’ve got to walk five feet to get the paper towel, so we’ve incorporated the hand drying blower in the sink.” 

Let’s wave ‘hello’ to the sparkling new Terminal 1 at San Diego International Airport.

Related Articles:

• Transforming a flying weapon of war into a work of art
• Women photogs explore migration with Miami International exhibit
• New Kansas City terminal leans into accessibility and inclusivity

Featured image credited to Ema Peter/San Diego International Airport