b'BAGGAGEMSP17And then there are the loons and other birds. PHOTO: ERIC MUELLERFor safety purposes, airports the world over use a combination of visible and audible cues to inform people whenever a baggage carousel is about to begin moving. But MSP opted to be more creative. Instead of humdrum alarms, it curated an inventory of local bird sounds to alert passengers when their bags will soon appear. The airport supplemented a mix of its own homemade stereo recordings with others from Cornell Universitys Ornithology Lab. Were on a huge flyway on the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers for birds migrating north and southalong with a lot of snowbirds in the state wholl use airplanes, Howell adds wryly. The local nature sounds are designed to foster a sense of place for those just arriving in Minnesota.As the recorded birds chirp, coordinated light displays replicate how sunlight reflects off the water in local lakes, creating an effect that is much more pleasant than the former hockey arena-style sirens that once blared in baggage claim areas. Multiple bird sounds were tested, but those from Canada geese were not used because some airline stakeholders said their honking sounded like theA new meet and greet area was added close to Baggage Claim. carousels were broken. Uniting People and Place Through DesignProud to beMinneapolis-St. Paul International Airports Design Partner for Terminal 1 Architectural Planning and Design by Alliiance, Art Installation The Aurora by Jen Lewin (612) 578-6807, epeterson@alliiance.com, alliiance.comAirportImprovement.comJanuary | February 2025'