Fentress Architects designed the new terminal built as part of the
renovation and expansion program of the Charleston International Airport (CHS)
in South Carolina.
A major highlight of the terminal is a 20,000 lbs. steel dome structure,
32 feet in diameter, which was recently erected as part of the renovation and
expansion of the airport’s ‘Terminal Redevelopment and Improvement Program’ (TRIP).
The new terminal is part of a master plan to expand the building’s
capacity to accommodate a dramatic increase in passenger traffic, with the work
involving complete renovation of all existing areas and building systems that
have exceeded their useful life.
Having set a new passenger record last year with nearly 2.9 million
passengers, the airport, after the expansion and renovation will be able to process
four million passengers annually.
Designed by Fentress Architects in association with Watson Tate Savory
Liollio, the new terminal project adds five new gates to the current 10 gates. The
new design provides a visual connection from the kerbside to the ticketing and
bag claim while a 25-foot-tall central hall featuring a floor-to-ceiling glass
curtainwall will provide a view from the main entry through to the tarmac and
the airplanes.
New features in the renovated terminal building will include a central
hall lined with retail and a new two-story glass wall facing the airfield; new
seating areas, restrooms, and retail shopping in Concourses A and B; a new
consolidated security checkpoint, baggage handling area, and central energy
plant; and a new rental car facility.
Fentress Architects design principal Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA explained
that the new terminal was inspired by the unique cultural geography of the
area. The design therefore is polished and modern, while capturing the unique
southern sense of openness and warmth.
Expected to be completed in the fall of 2015, the $162 million makeover consisting
of a modernised terminal and concourses will reduce wait times and crowding,
while also enhancing the passenger experience and increasing economic activity.
Fentress Architects is known for the design of the Denver International
Airport, USA’s fifth busiest airport with 53 million passengers annually. The
firm has since designed several other aviation projects, including South
Korea’s Incheon International, which was recently named World’s Best Airport by
SKYTRAX, and the modernised Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX as well
as several acclaimed regional airports including Raleigh-Durham International
Airport (9 million passengers annually) and the new Terminal B at Sacramento
International Airport (4.5 million passengers annually).