The design for the new Elmira-Corning Airport terminal sought to reimagine the typical passenger experience while providing visitors with the modern amenities of a twenty-first century airport.

The moment you arrive at the typical airport, the boundary between the airside concourse ad landslide ticketing looms in front of you. Crossing that boundary is often a jarring experience of long security lines, windowless spaces, and time-driven anxiety. At the new Elmira Corning Regional Airport, that separation between airside and landside will be visible from everywhere, not as a stark line, but as a serene landscaped courtyard at the center of the airport.

The proposed terminal revitalization will tie together the themes of innovation, tourism, and high tech industry that are the focus of the region. As the courtyard makes its way quite literally through the center of the airport, regional flora provide the backdrop and the defining image of the airport. The transparency of the courtyard ensures a unique and pleasurable experience for passengers both arriving and departing. To accomplish this, dense airport support functions were shifted to opposing ends of the terminal leaving a porous and naturalized landscape in the heart of the building. The passenger’s experience is focused around this courtyard throughout the entirety of their visit- Ticketing, Security Screening, Departure Lounges, and Baggage Pick-up.

This new imagining takes advantage of local technological innovation. Through a partnership with industry leader Corning Glass, programmable glass walls display flight info, directions, advertising, and local attractions. Passengers are able to receive vital information as they move throughout the terminal without disrupting the view of the flora unique to the region.

In this way the identity of the region is fully embedded in the airport itself – creating an experience that is unique to the region and transformative for the experience of travel.

Civil Engineering: McFarland Johnson

Credits:
- McFarland Johnson - Civil Engineering