Seattle Tacoma International airport has unveiled details and images of its new International Arrivals Facility (IAF), ahead of the official opening this spring.
Works have added a new Grand Hall, pedestrian walkway and secure corridor, with the facility undergoing final testing in the coming weeks.
The airport said that the IAF – which replaces the current 50-year-old Customs facility – would feature “regional art, dramatic views, sustainability, and the world’s longest aerial walkway over an active taxi lane”.
It will increase the airport international capable gates from 12 to 20, and more than double passenger capacity from 1,200 to 2,600 passengers per hour. The IAF will also reduce minimum passenger connection times at the airport from 90 to 75 minutes.
Design features include materials reflecting the blues of the sea and sky, and the greens and organic textures of mountains and forests, and 100,000 square feet of terrazzo floor sourced from local stone, which form a rock pattern “that evokes the colours and textures of a rocky Pacific Ocean beach”.
There is also a courtyard with plants and trees, designed to “give a flash of our namesake Emerald green as you exit to the rest of the airport”, and a five-piece sculpture by artist Marela Zacarías over the bag claim carousels, “inspired by the colours of the waterways and sunsets in the San Juan Islands”.
Commenting on the news Lance Lyttle, managing director of SEA Airport, said:
“We needed to improve the customer experience to make travel less stressful and more predictable. This is your first impression of our region and airport. Everything from the views out the window to the simplicity of getting on your way should put you at ease.”
