BY ROB YINGLING
Among the structures built over the years at Reagan National Airport, one stands clearly
above the rest as the airport’s pride and joy. Complete with towering steel columns,
Jeffersonian domed ceilings, and large glass panes, Terminal B/C opened to rave reviews
in the summer of 1997. Long-time employees vividly recall the sense of renewal and
delight that was unleashed after passengers poured in, and airlines began service there.
With the new terminal, a new era had begun.
Fast-forward 23 years to the construction of a new 14-gate concourse now in progress
within view of the celebrated B/C terminal. Architects are keenly aware that they have
a tough act to follow. For them, the most obvious design choice was to complement
the existing structure with a new one that looks the same to the casual observer. But
behind the glass and metal exterior, advances in technology and lessons learned over two
decades of terminal operation sparked advanced concepts that depart from a cookie-
cutter approach.
Architect Louis Lee, part of the engineering team for Project Journey, oversaw design of
the new concourse that will ultimately relocate more than 6,000 daily customers from
the confines of Gate 35X to more comfortable surroundings, complete with jetbridges,
seating areas, shops, restaurants, city views, and an airline lounge. Lee speaks about
airport terminals in terms normally reserved for living beings. The design of the new
concourse “respects its relationship and dialogue with the current architecture,” he said.
The relationship is evident in the use of similar materials, colors, geometry, and matching
scale between existing and new buildings. When viewed from high above, it looks like the
terminal is gaining a fourth pier almost identical to the original three. But a unique layout
is taking shape inside. The base of the concourse has a “centrum,” with huge city-facing
windows and generous space as the hallway turns towards gates gradually instead of at
a right angle. Columns are spread more widely apart to increase interior sightlines and
create fewer obstacles for chairs, amenities, and passenger flow. Doorways to jetbridges
are more numerous to maximize parking of regional jets, which use a smaller footprint
than mainline aircraft.
Airports Authority Architect Louis Lee
FLYWASHINGTON.COM 24 SPRING 2020