Piece No. 2: SFO International Terminal
Notes below.
I. Context
San Francisco International Airport was first opened in 1927, and began operating in full in 1937, following the construction of a passenger terminal. About 50 million passengers travel through SFO per year, a quarter of whom are en route to international destinations. The International terminal was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in 1995 with the intention of imagining and establishing San Francisco as the ‘gateway to the Pacific’. It was part of a $2.5B expansion project commissioned in the early 90s. The terminal remains the largest international terminal in North America at 1.8 million square feet.
I’ve always loved airports - they represent paths to adventure, to family, or to entirely new chapters. They also make present the immense power of human ingenuity - countless jets taking flight with enviable ease. Upon reflection, I have come to appreciate the unique dynamics of airport design. It demands deep collaboration with engineers, and the respect of hidden constraints like passenger mobility (how long it takes to move between check-in, gates, planes), security and utilities. That said, I am specifically interested in exploring the experience and design choices of this terminal - the airport is an essential element in selling the ‘product’ of travel.
II. Choices
A | Visual analogies that capture aviation concepts
The roof of an airport terminal can be a meaningful medium to express a design vision. It sits in the visual path of both passengers on ground, and those in the air. Eero Saarinen's TWA Terminal at JFK exemplified this approach. Inspired by Da Vinci's flying machine, its curves and contours were deliberately chosen to evoke the feeling of futuristic flight
SFO International is similarly inspired, connecting the building's form to its function. Its wing-like ceiling extends gracefully across the terminal, supported by a series of double-cantilevered trusses. This creates a sense of expansiveness that affirms and elevates the everyday act of travel
The main ticketing hall references the grand railway stations of Europe with its height and breadth. This spatial approach also harkens to aircraft hangars - vast, open spaces, home to machines - a subtle and clever connection
B | Clear delineations of spaces to streamline and subtly guide movement
Airport layouts can be unintuitive or confusing. A check for this - if detailed signage is needed to direct users, the space requires more inherent clarity
Convoluted configurations aren't always the result of poor design though - they often reflect designers and architects solving for competing constraints. For example, airports like JFK or Heathrow evolved through decades of additions, resulting in complex layouts that prioritized expansion over cohesive experience
The SFO International terminal, by contrast, successfully segments its spaces to ease navigation. The passenger journey unfolds logically: travelers start at centralized check-in counters, then flow toward a hallway that naturally bifurcates into the gated areas. Along this path, thoughtfully positioned restaurants, shops, and exhibits provide welcome stops without disrupting overall movement - creating a simple but enriching wayfinding experience
C | Light as a meaningful influence in passenger experience
Whether daytime or night, SFO International invokes a sense of levity and energy - an undoubted mark of excellent design - and an appreciated contrast to moments that could otherwise feel laden with anxiety or exhaustion
Extensive use of glass, skylights, trusses and tensile sculptures compound this bright, airy feel. Thoughtful experimentation with shadow and reflection upon these structures furthers the creative use of light
Many designers note the importance of introducing natural elements when creating built environments to preserve a sense of wellness and peace for those passing through
III. Conclusions
The concept of travel as an experience emerged in the back half of the 20th century. Technological advancements following WWII led to larger jets, increased capacity, and reduced costs per seat, making air travel accessible. In this context, creating elegant and exciting passenger experiences became critical to airport design, a principle embodied well in SFO International's architecture
San Francisco is undoubtedly the heart of technological innovation - but the SFO International terminal achieves its most profound successes through the manipulation of physical elements: light, space, and form
I wonder if there will be a reimagination of these spaces as we move towards an even more digital era. Would we walk through airports with AI-supported travel agents or AI-powered security checks? The next frontier of airport design likely lies in harmonizing physical realities with emerging technologies