A First Look at SFO's New Terminal 2
Let’s face it—no one enjoys spending time at an airport. Passengers have been forced to accept a featureless space of dimly lit corridors and generic fast food chains, making trips back East or across the globe mediocre at best. But with the newly completed Terminal 2, home to domestic carriers Virgin America and American Airlines, San Francisco International Airport hopes to change all of that.
Ticket counters feature wall-to-ceiling metal paneling—made to resemble wood—by Custom By Ceilings Plus, from which hang Artemide’s Mouette light fixtures; artist Norie Sato designed part of the terminal’s facade. It’s made up of more than 120 laminated glass panels, which change color depending on light and time of day.
Three years ago, the airport commissioned a design-build partnership with internationally recognized Gensler and Turner Construction for a $383 million renovation project to change the way people think about airports. “Our goal was to make T2 a destination in itself by enhancing the entire travel experience,” says Gensler principal Jeff Henry. “Comfort, style, and sustainability were the three most important challenges we faced.” Their solution was a 640,000-square-foot, eco-friendly environment that focuses on world-class art, local food, and shopping—a microcosm of San Francisco.
Two large Kendall Buster sculptures suspended from the ceiling on either side of the mezzanine adorn the departure lobby; the forms, which suggest a topographic map, are a series of flat planes constructed of steel tubing covered in white shade cloth that hang parallel to each other.
Gensler also designed Terminal 2’s earlier expansion in 1983 and faced a unique opportunity to work with SFO again. “Few architects get to build a terminal, tear it down, and build it up all over again,” says founder Art Gensler. The space, which had been out of use for 10 years after the current international terminal debuted in 2000, reopened last month. Natural light floods the ticket counters, which feature wall-to-ceiling metal paneling made to resemble wood, a design element rarely used in airports. Passengers can collect themselves and their belongings in a mood-lit, lounge-like recompose area past security. Terminal columns are illuminated in colorful hues à la Virgin America, and a variety of comfortable seating options—retro-modern egg chairs by Danish designer Fritz Hansen and long couch-benches—make the gate area feel like an upscale hotel lobby. There are abundant laptop work stations and free wireless throughout, plus a station to recharge phones and iPods. The bathrooms feel more W hotel than airport stall and boast Dyson hand dryers, granite countertops, flattering lighting (goodbye fluorescents), and vanity mirrors. To top it off, the terminal’s use of paperless ticketing, preferential parking for hybrids, and energy-efficient air filtering and water treatment systems have rendered it LEED Gold-registered.
The terminal concourse’s restaurants include Andalé, Burger Joint, Cat Cora, Lark Creek Grill, Napa Farms, Vino Volo, Peet’s, The Plant Cafe Organic, Pinkberry, Starbucks, and Wakaba Sushi & Noodle. Retail offerings include Compass Books, Kiehl’s, MANGO, Natalie’s Candy Jar, XpresSpa, and more; Fritz Hansen egg chair.
In addition to sustainability, SFO has a long-standing commitment to art. It’s the only airport in the country to house an accredited museum. “Working on T2 was a natural fit,” says Luis Cancel, director of cultural affairs at the SF Arts Commission. The five new commissions—by local and international artists chosen from a pool of 530 applicants—and reinstallation of 20 works from the SF Arts Commission’s civic art collection elevate the cultural experience at T2. New York artist Janet Echelman’s Every Beating Second drapes the post-security concourse in a wash of color, movement, and light. Her three gauzy fiber sculptures hang from interior skylights and flow with the moving air like jellyfish. Local artist and Exploratorium exhibit developer Charles Sowers created Butterfly Wall, an interactive kinetic sculpture for the terminal’s play area. “There’s an interesting corollary with flight here,” says Sowers. “Unless you crank the installation faster than the natural rate of falling, the butterfly, like a plane, will flutter to the ground.” Much like at a museum, free cellphone audio tours guide travelers through the art on display.
Janet Echelman’s three fiber sculptures hang from interior skylights in the recompose area past security; her use of color is inspired by San Francisco’s history—beat poetry, psychedelic music, and the Summer of Love.
In the space between these two artworks, the concourse offers a variety of dining and shopping options laid out like an upscale mall. T2 houses retailers like MANGO and Kiehl’s, 10 restaurants, a gourmet marketplace, and boutique wine bar and features the first airport dining program in the country to require fresh, locally sourced food. Cat Cora, best known as an Iron Chef judge, serves up specialty cocktails and small plates at her restaurant lounge, and local celebrity chef Tyler Florence sells rotisserie at Napa Farms. There’s also Lark Creek Grill, The Plant Cafe Organic, and the city’s first-ever Pinkberry.
Vibrant tapestries by renowned SF artist Mark Adams, which were in storage for years, hang on the wall in the pre-security meet-and-greet lounge; the children’s play area has interactive pieces by local artists and Exploratorium employees Walter Kitundu and Charles Sowers. Sowers’ Butterfly Wall (the glass enclosure facing the couches) features hand cranks to lift butterflies before they flutter to the ground; elevated laptop work stations come equipped with outlets, and the entire terminal offers free wireless connection.
Hydration stations for refilling water bottles will significantly reduce the waste created by single-use bottles; energy-efficient bathrooms feature a dual plumbing system with fixtures that use 40 percent less water.
From sustainable design to local-and-organic food, SFO has positioned T2 as uniquely San Franciscan. More important, the project sets the standard for 21st-century airport design. Should others follow suit, pretty soon air travel will be glamorous again.
Photography by Keeney and Law
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By on March 23, 2012
That first image is horrible, if you look at the metal ceiling with the wood film from Ceiling Plus it looks like used aluminum foil - it is wrinkled and looks bad, even though it is brand new.
Too bad they will have to replace the ceilings!
By on February 16, 2012
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By on February 01, 2012
Egg chsirs sre designed by Arne Jacobsen, Fritz Hansen in the manufacturer
By on August 09, 2011
The company that sold them the office furniture for the site rocks!
By on May 06, 2011
Oh how very exciting!!! Can't wait to see it for real!
By on April 15, 2011
Authentic Fritz Hansen products including the Egg and Swan at www.fritzhansen.com
By on April 06, 2011
Authentic Fritz Hansen products including the Egg and Swan at www.fritzhansen.com
By on April 06, 2011
Terminal 2 Looks Fabulous As Well As Gorgeous ....I Just Can't Wait To Walk Through The Terminal....
By on April 05, 2011
*SFO has been remodeling constantly since the 1960's*
And it seems they have finally come full circle.
By on April 05, 2011
Much ado about nothing. When I fly (which is far less frequent than it used to be) what I want to know about an Airport is:
-how much does it cost to park?
-How close is my terminal?
-How obnoxious are the TSA drones?
-Can I get a good Vodka Martini?
For a few years now, I have flown out of Sacramento when possible and avoided SFO, but not because of the architecture and interior design. Mostly because of the cost. This big makeover may look nice, but it will not bring me back to SFO.
By on April 05, 2011
Great so what are you supposed to do with your more than 3 oz bottle of water that you just filled at the "hydration station" when you get to security. Think they're going to let you through?
By on April 05, 2011
SFO really need another runway...
T
By on April 05, 2011
This looks Amazing. Very sleek and modern. I cannot wait to travel through SFO and see it in person. Wonderful job to all the people who help make this a reality. Passangers and workers alike will be delighted to spend time in the new terminal.
By on April 05, 2011
finally, we 've been waiting for this for a while. by the way we sell same chairs and other furniture like at SFO. http://www.avetexfurniture.com/
By on April 05, 2011
Ah, the rush to judgement by so many armchair interior designers... most of whom, I would guess, have not actually been inside of the newly renovated T2.
Here's an idea... post a photo of your living room and share with us the stylistic and functional choices you've made for your own environment and what inspired you to make those choices. Once you've established yourself as a person of taste and skill who understands how to compose a working space and create a suitable mood and experience, then you may critique the new terminal.
And if you just don't like bright open spaces with a hint of the glamor age of air travel, fly Delta. We won't miss you.
And please, be civil and sign your name to your posts. This isn't 4chan here, we're supposed to be adults.
By on April 05, 2011
I'm so glad they finally did this--it was long overdue. Airports are the cathedrals of modern times. Churches used to connect people to God in the dark, hopeless past; now, airports connect us with our loved ones in much the same way. Probably one of the few public works projects I support; certainly better than spending a couple of hundred million on a new city hall or police station. Too bad it'll be staffed by a blunch of rude, nosepicking, clueless grade-school dropouts (and judging by their English skills, probably illegal aliens.) Well, I guess everyone can't work at McDonald's or in yard care--you got to stick them somewhere. If you don't believe me, try walking from the Civic Center Bart Stn. on Market Street down 6th to the Hall of Justice on Bryant sometime. The city of San Francisco has been taken over by thugs, stoners, and welfare & disability recipients. On Arpil 15th, this year and every year, be reminded where yout tax money is really going! peace, out.
By on April 05, 2011
Tough crowd.
By on April 05, 2011
Uhm, hello, 1970 called. They want their designs back. Fritz Hansen egg chairs? Is this the set of a Stanley Kubrick film?
By on April 05, 2011
It's about time!!! I love airports but I always hated flying back to SFO because it was so drab. Not any more. The Bay Area has long been a leader for creativity, technology and innovation. It now has an airport that reflects this. Remember...first impressions!!!
By on April 05, 2011
looks amazing. nice updating.
all i ask if that they please turn off the tvs in the airports. play classical music. thx.
By on April 05, 2011
Why bother to have anything but a line to the gate? Nobody is allowed in the gate areas that doesn't have a ticket anyway so there's no reason to have a place for people to see people off or greet them when the arrive. Such a waste of resources.
By on April 05, 2011
Well,
SFO has been remodeling constantly since the 1960's, when I was a kid and my Aunt worked at United.
I think the art concept was taken a bit far. This looks a bit like the pictures of the 1930s world fair. I'd appreciate chairs more handicapped accessible and compatible.
It has a lot of glass. Glass is a bear to keep warm in the winter, you waste heat. Summer the sun bears down on you and can be hot,blinding or cooking the individuals.
By on April 05, 2011
Well,
SFO has been remodeling constantly since the 1960's, when I was a kid and my Aunt worked at United.
I think the art concept was taken a bit far. This looks a bit like the pictures of the 1930s world fair. I'd appreciate chairs more handicapped accessible and compatible.
It has a lot of glass. Glass is a bear to keep warm in the winter, you waste heat. Summer the sun bears down on you and can be hot,blinding or cooking the individuals.
By on April 05, 2011
Fritz Hansen Egg Chairs run about $6000 (six thousand) each - I can just see all these revolting hamburger eaters getting their greasy little fingers and ketchup all over them - I'll give these very expensive furnishings no more than 6 months before they look like crap - let's face it, Americans are a bunch of peasants who simply do not appreciate architecture.
By on April 05, 2011
This terminal will make SFO a more desirable airport not only for departures, but also for those having to connect. People spend money at airports, which can only help the economy (vis a vis sales tax). The only sorely needed change is the ability to transfer terminals without having to reclear security. The only terminal that now has this option is from T3 to Int'l.
By on April 05, 2011
"was all this really necessary while the economy is tanking?"
Yes, because spending money is *how you get the economy to stop tanking*. A tanking economy is what happens when people *stop* spending, producers don't get paid, *they* stop spending, etc. Putting people to work building an airport terminal is better than having them dig holes and fill them back up, and both are better than letting them sit around and starve.
By on April 05, 2011
I applaud Virgin America for bring style and design to an industry that feels like it's stuck in the 1970's. As far as all the whining, don't fly VA... you have the choice. If you want to grab a $2 burger at Wendy's and a flight on SouthWorst Airlines. Just like Apple, for VA the experience matters a great deal to the overall feeling you walk away with. It's the main reason I fly this airline. Thank you Virgin and I can't wait until I can experience this new terminal.
By on April 05, 2011
How incredibly boring - was all this really necessary while the economy is tanking?
By on April 05, 2011
Besides, I used to date a flight attendant. We traveled all over the US. I've written books. I've done table top books including images of the SF Airport before the remodel. (See: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/862371) Airports are great!
By on April 05, 2011
Love this great new concept and food options! I travel very frequently and need better options when dining. I will not eat when there are only processed food options. Thank you SFO for setting the stage! Hopefully more will follow suit. Would love to see flying become the luxury it was intended to be.
By on April 05, 2011
I can't wait to go see the new terminal. It's about time SFO upgraded. Gorgeous. This is going to steal business from the "other" airport . To the haters- this was paid for years ago on bond measure, so your homework.
By on April 05, 2011
That's all well and good, but I remember with layovers and having once to spend the night, that if they had shower facilities, everything would be complete. But, this assertion about not liking airports, I love them. I would buy new books, read The New Yorker, and the sense of travel was sublimely wonderful.
By on April 05, 2011
Sure, it looks good. But during a recession, and a time when airports are increasingly tacking unexplained "fees" onto tickets (which makes it more difficult to be able to afford to travel), did they really need to spend $383 MILLION on a remodel?
Does anyone really think that they pulled that money out of thin air? Make no mistake: every one of us will either be paying for this, or will simply not be able to fly because we can't afford to help pay for this. A colossal waste of money in difficult financial times.
By on April 05, 2011
Finally that old terminal gets some love! I think it's gorgeous, sleek and modern. Maybe there is still a little glamor in air travel. Well, at least we can pretend.
By on April 05, 2011
I would pay an extra 20 bucks to fly out of this terminal.
By on April 05, 2011
Just the Egg Chairs will make the wait better!
By on April 05, 2011
wow, a lot of haters on here. I love the concept, design, incorporation of art and availability of water for bottles and outlets.
yes, flying will never be glamourous again, but a lot of time is spent waiting either pre-flight or inbetween flights. I'd love to spend that time here.
and as a health nut, i'm happy to spend extra money for food that doesn't make my stomach churn. McD's and Wendy's just taste like meat bits doused in old oil vats, and i'd prefer to eat cleaner food even if it puts me out a few dollars. can you honestly say that terminal food is a major expense you consider when flying? please.
By on April 04, 2011
Where's the full body death scanners?
By on April 04, 2011
AMAZING! This is spectacular! It looks like a place I would like to hang out. Wow.
By on April 04, 2011
where are the vending machines
By on April 04, 2011
Where are the airplanes?
By on April 04, 2011
Locally sourced food + organic = expensive. Just what we need when air travel is getting more expensive, expensive food options! Sorry, I much more appreciate airports like Seattle which have a mix of chain and local and require pricing equivalent to what you pay in town. If I'm in a hurry a $2 cheeseburger from Wendy's will suit me just fine, rather than a $12 local and organic sandwich.
By on April 04, 2011
Air travel will never be glamorous, with TSA groping and ever smaller seats on overbooked planes. This looks nice, but it'll never be a "destination." The food places will be as over-priced as the rest at SFO. I love Virgin America, so I'll be happy to wait here as opposed to at the Int'l Terminal, but I'll never choose an airline because of its terminal
By on April 04, 2011
*by the USGBC
By on April 04, 2011
To correct the article you should state it is a LEED Gold candidate if they have submitted an application for certification or LEED Gold certified but the USGBC. LEED Gold registered is misleading/incorrect.
By on April 04, 2011
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