The Psychology Of Airport Terminal Design

Alex McDowell was asked by Steven Spielberg to build the set for the movie, "The Terminal", and built a 'fantasy terminal' in just eight months.

1 minute read

July 9, 2004, 11:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen

"If you think of airport terminals as little more than people-moving machines, then most work well. But if you think of airport terminals as places, not machines, then most don't offer much.

In the end, making the terminal a place where you'd want to spend time goes against the grain of typical terminal design. For years designers have been building airport terminals as cold places where you don't want to linger. Ever see a terminal with wood floors or nice carpeting, comfy chairs or a bar with live entertainment? New terminals are almost universally filled with carpeting so ugly that stains blend in, or shiny granite floors that reflect shop signs. They have acres of glass that give an attractive openness -- but also suggest that you're trapped in a fishbowl."

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Thanks to Chris Steins

FULL STORY: Terminal Case of Blandness: Airports Could Use a Makeover

Thursday, July 8, 2004 in Wall St. Journal

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