Fernandina Beach, FL September 2019 — The newly-completed Corsair Terminal Building at Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport has recently been recognized with two statewide awards recognizing the Terminal’s innovative design and contributions to general aviation and transportation in Florida.
“The genesis of the terminal was to design a facility that would celebrate aviation and recognize the sacrifices made by the military men and women who served in World War II,” says Christopher Nardone, AIA, Passero Associates Senior Project Architect for the new Terminal. “The Corsair was the most meaningful design for the terminal, celebrating the rich history of the aircraft.”
FDOT 2019 GENERAL AVIATION PROJECT OF THE YEAR
The City of Fernandina Beach and the Terminal’s designer, Passero Associates, have been awarded the 2019 General Aviation Project of the Year by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The award was announced at the FDOT Annual Aviation Awards Ceremony held in conjunction with the Florida Airports Council Annual Conference. The terminal competed among ten projects from nine general aviation airports in the State of Florida.
AIA FLORIDA 2019 PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
The Terminal also placed 8th in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Florida 2019 People’s Choice Awards. Recognizing outstanding achievements in Florida Architecture, more than 1.6 million votes were entered from 42 states and 30 other countries. The People’s Choice Competition was initiated in 2014 to engage the public in a conversation about architecture. Since then, over 9 million votes have been cast from around the world.
ABOUT THE CORSAIR TERMINAL
The new Corsair Terminal Building at Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport provides offices for airport administration and the Fixed Base Operator (FBO); provides space for airport / community meetings, educational and youth events; and recognizes the area’s aviation history. The facility attracts air traffic and serves as an entertainment and educational destination for the entire community, including aviators and non-aviators.
Located on a barrier island where bridges are vulnerable during a disaster, the building is a critical structure designed to withstand 140 mph hurricane winds and ensure continuity of service.
The design is modeled on the iconic WWII-era Vought F4U Corsair fighter aircraft. The airport opened in the 1940s during WWII as a training facility for US Navy pilots, many of whom flew the Corsair. The building design is a celebration of historic aviation and serves to recognize the sacrifices made by military veterans.
The airport operations area, public areas, and FBO office are separated, enabling stand-alone operations when needed. Landside visitors enter the building through the tail section porte cochere with airside entry through the nose. Inside is a two-story lobby resembling an airplane fuselage with a skylight cockpit. Inverted gull wings, constructed from steel, create a shade hangar to the west and shelter a second-floor observation deck, for public use, to the east. Adjacent to the observation deck is an administration conference room with catering breakroom.
Serving as a distinctive memorial and landmark while providing valuable services and community space, the new Corsair Terminal is an outstanding example of creative design successfully fulfilling practical objectives.
ABOUT THE FDOT AIRPORT PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARD
Each year, the FDOT Aviation and Spaceports Office considers aviation projects to receive Airport Project of the Year honors. To be considered for the Airport Project of the Year award, a project must meet the following three criteria: demonstrate exceptional professional skills and represent a significant contribution to airport development, sustainability, efficiency, capacity, and/or safety; be a project funded under the FDOT Aviation Grants Program (it must have a financial management number); and be completed in the state fiscal year in which it is nominated.
Nominated projects should meet or exceed one or more of the following success factors: contributes to the mobility of people and goods; contributes to the well-being of people and communities; overcomes challenges presented by the project; demonstrates resourcefulness in planning; demonstrates pioneering use of material, equipment, and methods; positively contributes to the physical environment and aesthetic value; and/or displays cost-effectiveness.
ABOUT PASSERO ASSOCIATES
Passero Associates provides planning, engineering, architectural design, sustainability, surveying, program management and construction administration services in the Southeast, Northeast, and Midwestern United States. Founded in 1972, and with a staff of over 100 professionals, we proudly serve our clients, partnering with them to achieve their goals.
Service. Solutions. Results. www.passero.com.
