b'is actually an airfield bus gate used primarily to accommodate passengers transferring between select terminals, and several other gate numbers are omitted to accommodate future potential gates. The concessions lineup was another key design consideration. Because this is an extension to an already very long concourse, passengers do have to walk quite a distance in this terminal, says Steele. We wanted to create a feeling of a town square at the enda little bit of a payoff after the long walk to the gate.New retail shops and food/beverage options are concentrated at the bend of the boomerang-shape, where the ceiling raises high. Thirteen new concessions operations are planned to open in phases through early 2024, with more on the way. Upcoming Genayarestaurants include Hampton Social, Farm2Air Market, Chick-fil-A, Protein Bar, Butcher & the Burger, Bar Siena, Metropolis Coffee, the Dearborn and others that will be announced in coming months. HOK, the firm that worked with Muller2 and provided design conceptualization for the project, engineered the expansive town square area to exude simplicity and calmness. The projects openness gives sweeping views of the aircraft, the city and where one needs to go, reducing sensory overload in an uplifting environment, explainsWILLIAM JENKINSONWilliam Jenkinson, a leader of HOKs Aviation and Transportation Group. The vaulted space welcomes natural light and recalls the vaulted space of the existing departures hall. The grand central spaceinspired by the urban plazamixes the lounges, gates and retail to reflect the dynamic vitality of cities. The extension design emphasizes the vitality and collectiveness of urban spaces.The glass curtain wall in the plaza area has high-performance glass with a frit pattern to control sunlight and glare.V-Travel extensionJenkinson considers the plazas tall, arched clerestory window a particularly significant architectural element. It animates the space with natural light, contributes to the memory and connection of place and is a wayfinding element as people make their way around the boomerang, he explains. September 2023AirportImprovement.com'