HOK designs new terminal for Salt Lake City International Airport

The details of Salt Lake City International Airport’s new $1.8 billion terminal have been released.

The redevelopment, designed by HOK, features a three-story, 1.7 million-sf terminal and concourse that will serve up to 23 million passengers a year. An interior room called the Canyon will be at the center of the terminal. It will hold security screening areas, and shopping and dining facilities. A large wavy sculpture by artist Gordon Huether will line the walls.

A 4,000-foot-long concourse connected to the terminal will have 38 gates. A split-level roadway will put departures and arrivals on different levels, and a new parking garage will have 3,600 parking spaces.

The building will have floor-to-ceiling windows that that show off the airfield, the Great Salt Lake, and the Wasatch and Oquirrh mountains.

“One of the best things about coming into Salt Lake City is flying through the valley between the mountain ranges as you approach the airport,” said Robert Chicas, director of HOK’s Aviation + Transportation practice, in a statement. “By bringing the beauty of the environment into the facility and incorporating sustainable design strategies that create a healthy, pleasant atmosphere, the terminal becomes an extension of that experience.”

HOK is targeting LEED Gold certification by using sustainable designs and minimizing its footprint. High-performance glazing will draw in daylight and prevent heat gain, and energy-efficient lighting and mechanical systems will also help the airport save costs. HOK will also outfit the building to lessen seismic risk.

The new facilities will replace 29 outdated structures, which includes three terminals and five concourses. The new terminal will open in 2020, and the entire project will be complete by 2023.

Holder Construction and Big-D Construction (HDJV) is the general contractor of the project.

A large-scale sculpture by artist Gordon Huether will line the Canyon's walls.

Floor-to-ceiling glass will display the nearby Wasatch and Oquirrh mountains.

The terminal is three stories and has 1.7 million sf. A split-level roadway separates arrivals and departures.

A terminal modernization program can be a complicated and expensive task that airport operators may be hesitant to undertake unless necessitated by demands for increased capacity. This is the first post in our series examining why airport operators should bother to upgrade their facilities, even if capacity isn’t forcing the issue.