The most complex building project in SEA’s 70+ year history, the new facility expands capacity and speeds up the international arrivals process.
The new, expanded International
Arrivals Facility (IAF) at
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
(SEA) is now open. Skidmore, Owings
& Merrill (SOM) led the design team,
replacing a 50-year-old arrivals
facility with a dynamic structure
nearly five times bigger,
dramatically improving the passenger
experience. The IAF comprises an
aerial walkway—the longest of its
kind in the world—a Grand Hall, and
a secure corridor to increase the
number of international-capable
gates. "This is an all-new welcome to our region and airport for an international traveler, and it's a dramatic improvement," says Lance Lyttle, Managing Director of SEA Airport. "Everything from the views out the windows, the iconic walkway, and the intuitiveness of the facility make this an exceptional customer experience." Arriving international passengers are immersed in the landscape of the Pacific Northwest as they cross the soaring aerial walkway with 360-degree views of Mount Rainier, and the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges. The walkway spans 780 feet across an active taxilane, creating a rare moment for passengers to watch planes pass underneath. “It is magnificent from an architectural perspective,'' said Washington Governor Jay Inslee at the project reveal. “That walkway is a working piece of art.”
The walkway connects to IAF’s Grand
Hall - an expansive, light-filled
space with floor to ceiling windows.
The building’s sweeping roofline
tilts and arcs reflecting the motion
of a landing airplane. Site-specific
artworks include “Magnetic Anomaly,”
a set of three kinetic artworks
created by Ned Kahn, suspended
overhead and a colorful five-piece
sculpture by Marela Zacarías, “Chalchiutlicue,”
that floats above baggage claim
carousels.
“An airport creates your first
impression of a new place, and the
Puget Sound region offers an
incredible palette to draw from,"
said Michael Duncan, design partner
at SOM. "The design significantly
improves efficiency and elevates the
passenger experience. Most
importantly, it creates an uplifting,
light-filled experience - with its
dramatic roof and bridge, and is a
welcoming sequence of spaces.”
The interior design references
elements of the Pacific Northwest–its
plant life, terrain, and topography.
The Grand Hall features a terrazzo
floor with local stones, and entry
portals lined with Douglas fir.
Passengers depart the Passport
Control area, alongside a small
forest of evergreen trees, which
culminates at ground level in a
landscaped creek with native ferns
and plantings nested between granite
slabs.
A new secure international corridor
along the face of the existing A
Concourse allows eight international
wide-body aircraft gates direct
access to the IAF, with dual use for
domestic flights, bolstering the
building’s future flexibility. SEA
is the nation’s first major hub
airport to roll out ‘Bags First,’ a
streamlined Customs and Border
Protection entrance process.
Working with the Port of Seattle,
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and
Clark Construction Group led the
design-build team for the
450,000-square-foot project which
included: The Miller Hull
Partnership, EHDD (Formerly Patano
Studio), KPFF Consulting Engineers,
Schlaich Bergermann Partner,
Integrated Design Engineers (IDE),
PAE Engineering, Magnusson Klemencic
Associates, Stantec, Arup and Murase.
Photo © Dave Burk/Lucas Blair Simpson | SOM, Release Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, SOM, Chicago
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May 16, 2022 |