Transportation

Advances
Contract Furnishings

Privacy in the Public Realm

An airport is a place of waiting, a public realm where passengers are oftentimes alone together. In that vein, the urge to seek solace and privacy and be productive is there, but there is seldom a private niche or corner available for work, a phone call or reading without a visual distraction or acoustic intrusion. The Cove lounge chair, manufactured by Poltrona Frau and designed by Foster + Partners, made its debut at the Passenger Terminal Expo in Stockholm. Its generously curved form provides ample room for a person to relax or work in comfort, while offering them a sense of seclusion without the need for walls. The circular form incorporates a wide, comfortable seat, an integrated USB-ch

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Case Study
Glass Walls/Partitions

Pedestrian Tunnel Adds Active Wall System

Philadelphia’s multi-phased, $59.65 million SEPTA Downtown Link features an innovative glass block “active” wall system. This past summer, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) completed the first phase of the Downtown Link, its Center City concourse improvement program to upgrade the underground pedestrian tunnel network. Significant architectural enhancements were made during this phase including an innovative, backlit, glass block “active” wall system. The Downtown Link connects six subway stations, two regional rail systems, and provides access to many businesses, offices, historical points of interest and other destinations.“O

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Advances
Glass & Curtainwall

Destination: Long Beach Airport

Described as a destination, as opposed to a transportation hub, the modernized 46,000-sq.-ft. Long Beach Airport project features energy-efficient, low-E glass from Oldcastle Building Envelope. Thanks to HOK’s linear design, and photocells integrated into the lighting system, electrical lighting is automatically adjusted in response to daylighting, thereby reducing HVAC demand and creating an appealing, daylit environment.

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Advances
Decorative Glass

Old and New

Chicago O’Hare Airport’s Terminal 5 was designed more than 20 years ago, so when it recently underwent a renovation and expansion, architects Epstein Global specified Starphire Ultra-Clear glass by Vitro Architectural Glass to enhance the existing architecture and continue it through the expansion. A two-story interior curtainwall serves as a partition separating secured and non-secured areas of the terminal. The glass panels line up against one another and create a continuous image that shows the gradual changes in color and texture that can be seen when heading inland from Lake Michigan to Chicago and on to Illinois’ rural cornfields.

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Case Study
Exterior Panels/Cladding

DC Metrorail Covers Its Tracks

The multi-billion dollar, two-phase Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project relies on the installation of standing seam panels to highlight escalator vaults, rider pavilions, pedestrian bridges and canopies. The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project is a 23-mile extension of Washington’s existing Metrorail System. Construction of Phase 1 is complete and covers 11.7 miles with five stations. Phase 2 is underway and will complete the extension with six additional stations. Upon completion, the line will provide a one-seat, no-transfer ride from Dulles Airport to downtown Washington, D.C. creating a long-sought connectivity between the burgeoning Washington corridor and the nation’s capital. Chu Contract

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Case Study
Contract Furnishings

High-Flying Design

Chicago’s O’Hare Airport’s refresh includes sleek, yet durable furnishings. Terminal Five in Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport had long been in need for a refresh. The terminal’s security lines also had a problem of overflowing into the ticketing area and even out toward entrances during peak times. “All the food outlets were pre-security, so once passengers went through security there was really no place to get something to eat other than Hudson News,” says John Kolb, Vice President and Senior Project Manager of Epstein Global. The redevelopment expanded Terminal 5’s original 15,000 sq. ft. of space to 26,000 sq. ft., which helped cover the improvement of the security line areas, the c

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Advances
Transportation

Passengers at the Forefront of Air Travel

Whether boarding a business flight or embarking on a space odyssey, it is clear that significant advances in air travel will result in increased passenger traffic—a number expected to exceed six billion by 2030, according to Arup.Designing amenities for the airport of the future may not look like the spaceport cantina from classic Star Wars, but integrating technology and infrastructure will be key to accommodating a personalized passenger experience for an expanding and diverse body of travelers, says Arup’s leader of Global Aviation, Susan Baer. For instance, JFK International Airport Terminal 4 just announced an indoor dog relief area as a convenience to those traveling with p

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Case Study
Exterior Panels/Cladding

Baggage Claim

Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport greets visitors with a new baggage claim area. Passengers flying at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee are now greeted by a new baggage claim area. The high-traffic area needed a durable interior and exterior material that also improved the aesthetics to enhance passengers’ experiences. “There are various infill, wall and column cover conditions where metal panels could achieve that level of durability, provide a long-lasting color and finish, and be easy to maintain,” says Debra Sider, principal with Engberg Anderson Architects, Milwaukee. “In addition, the panels were installed in both existing and new construction locatio

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