12
TERMINALS  
September 2026      AirportImprovement.com
FCA
to a handful of basic, often natural components: wood, stone, 
steel and glass. Many functional elements were purposefully left 
exposed, including timber joints that support the ceilings. 
“The beam work is breathtaking,” Ratkowski notes. 
To meet the extra demands of summertime travel peaks without 
overbuilding for the rest of the year, Dubbe created a secure 
exterior patio that functions as extended holdroom space. It offers 
another chance for travelers to “embrace the exterior,” he adds.
Small touches were carefully considered, from four distinctive 
soft seating options to providing chess tables and a piano for 
guests to enjoy. Those who make or listen to music in the new 
terminal space appreciate the pitch-perfect acoustics created by 
the wooden walls and ceilings. 
Accessories retained from the previous facility include a 
taxidermized black bear that has been a staple at FCA for 
decades. In addition, the Great Hall features a rare Cadillac 
Phaeton from the 1930s—a massive touring vehicle built 
to transport VIPs through the Montana 
mountains. President Franklin D. Roosevelt 
famously rode in a Phaeton when he toured 
Glacier National Park in 1934, Dubbe shares.
Building on Mead & Hunt’s rustic design 
theme, master concessionaire Metropolitan 
Culinary Services developed the Goat Haunt 
Saloon, an old-style whisky bar and restaurant 
with wood-beam ceilings and low lighting. 
Dubbe reports that the new concession’s 
lodge-style vibe has already proved to be 
wildly successful among flyers.
“There are a lot of big spaces that 
encourage people to not only hang around 
their gate but explore the airport and take 
their time,” he adds. “It’s truly an awe-inspiring 
space.”
Ratkowski emphasizes that cultivating a 
sense of place was especially important. “A lot 
of what you’ll see are modernized echoes of 
the historic lodges in the park,” he relates. 
Construction Challenges
What began in 2014 with the need for a 
couple more gates grew into a much more 
complicated project over time.
Design elements 
set the stage for 
passengers visiting 
Glacier National Park. 
PHOTO: AGATI

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