Orlando, Florida, USA
Fentress Architects, together with HNTB Corporation and associate architects Baker Barrios, MLM Martin, Ramski & Co., and Rhodes & Brito, have designed the soon-to-open Orlando International Airport’s new South Terminal Complex as a destination for the airport’s 55 million expected annual visitors.
The project won a 2017 American Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
The $1.8-billion project includes a world-class 2.7msf terminal building, ticketing, security, and 16 gates.
The terminal’s 1,000-foot-long boulevard features an innovative skylight that diffuses natural light throughout the space.
Several civic spaces along the boulevard enhance the passenger experience by providing comfortable seating, shopping, and a new state-of-the-art media experience.
The project also has several indoor and outdoor courtyards with plants and trees creating a more sustainable terminal building.
The design team’s intent is to create an iconic gateway to the region and connect passengers to Florida’s dynamic character.
Principal design strategies include the incorporation of Orlando’s natural features, technology, and urban design strategies to establish an unforgettable passenger experience while facilitating intuitive circulation to reduce the stress of travel.
The exterior reflects the architecture and character of Central Florida and a contemporary, flexible, and efficient interior design creates a unique sense of place centered on the traveler.
The integration of architectural features, aesthetics, and amenities highlight Orlando’s central elements: the sky, gardens and water. Inside the 250,838-square-meter terminal, interactive screens display images of the region, allowing visitors to experience Central Florida.
As passengers navigate the complex, they can enjoy the state’s natural environment as filtered daylight permeates the terminal’s glass ceiling, and gardens with local plants feature the region’s foliage.
The correspondence of local characters creates a unique sense of place with an airport experience that can only transpire in Orlando.
Utilizing urban design strategies to create civic spaces throughout the design creates a smooth circulation while adapting to the changing needs of the users, community, and environment.
The “Boulevard” is a passenger walkway at the center of the terminal that guides passengers while unifying elements that connect ground transportation, check-in, retail, and security screening in a straight line.
The Town Square and Palm Court punctuate the Boulevard, serving as landmarks along the terminal similar to a city square or plaza.
The arrival experience is enhanced by flipping—both figuratively and literally—the conventional notion of how an airport terminal looks and feels.
The terminal’s design shifts the paradigm of traditional airport planning by interchanging the arrivals and departure levels.
After a long flight, arriving passengers are welcomed by Central Florida’s daylight and gardens as they enter a grand, light-filled space at the top level of the terminal.
Views of the natural environment filter through the glass ceilings, offering a true sense of destination while celebrating the arrival of travelers to the US and Orlando.
These daylit, garden-filled spaces provide central gathering spaces for passengers to enjoy the travel experience.
Interactive media screens seamlessly integrated into the terminal’s architecture, allowing visitors to experience Central Florida’s renowned theme parks and excursions firsthand while celebrating the region’s dynamic identity.
Departing passengers will be able to showcase their own vacation images on the media screens to share with friends and family as they reminisce on their unforgettable travels.
Project: Orlando International Airport South Terminal C
Architects: Fentress Architects
Architects of Record: HNTB Corporation
Associate Architects: Baker Barrios, MLM Martin, Ramski & Co., and Rhodes & Brito
Main Contractor Airside: Hensel Phelps
Main Contractor Landside: Turner-Kiewit
Client: Greater Orlando Aviation Authority
Photographers: Matthew Good
