Fentress Architects continues to innovate, impress, and enhance the passenger experience with world-class and award-winning airport designs.
Denver, CO / April 8, 2018
In March 2019, Skytrax World Airport Awards announced the 2019 winners. Skytrax, an international air transport rating agency, ranked one Fentress-designed airports among the world’s best, and three Fentressdesigned airports among the best in North America. The firm’s visionary design of humanistic airports integrates flexible infrastructure and advanced technology to place the passenger at the forefront of the design. Results are based on Skytrax surveys of airport customers from more than 100 nationalities across 550 airports.
Best of the best The Fentress-designed Incheon International Airport (ICN) in South Korea landed in the top three Skytrax’s “World’s Best Airport” and was voted the “World’s Best Transit Airport.” Incheon’s design was inspired by Seoul’s four historic gates—the original entrances to the 2,000-year-old walled capital city.
For the second year in a row, the iconic mountainous Denver International Airport (DEN) was voted by passengers as the “Best Regional Airport in North America” and the top-ranked airport in the U.S. Completed in 1995, Fentress’ design for DEN’s Passenger Terminal Complex features one of the world’s largest structurally integrated tensile membrane roof with roof peaks rising 130 to 150 feet.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), completed by Fentress in 2012, was voted as the third “Best Regional Airport in North America.” The Central Terminal’s design enriches the visitor experience and restores the excitement of travel with architectural elements inspired by Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Also on the list is Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). Completed in 2011 by Fentress, RDU’s Terminal 2 is the world’s first major airport with a lenticular wood truss structure supporting the roof.
“With global commerce and the demand for air travel increasing, airports of the future must place quality, comfort and the passenger experience at the forefront of the design,” said Curt Fentress, Principal in Charge of Design.
Award-winning airport designs Among the other awards bestowed upon Fentress-designed airports are the Chicago Athenaeum’s American Architecture Award for the Charleston International Airport Terminal Redevelopment and Improvement Program, Chicago Athenaeum’s International Architecture Awards for the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) at Los Angeles International Airport, and World Architecture News Awards 2018 Finalist for Fentress’ design of TBIT at LAX.
For twelve consecutive years, ICN won the ‘World’s Best Airport Award’ given by the annual Airport Service Quality Award event presented by Airports Council International. In 2018, The Wall Street Journal’s firstever ranking of the United States’ best of the biggest airports, ranked DEN as number one.
Fairbanks International Airport Baggage Transport Conveyor Enhanced With Mod Drive™ System
Airports face a host of unique industry challenges, such as meeting efficiency regulations and seeking out the best maintenance practices to reduce costs and keep operations flowing. In today’s current economic climate, any potential cost savings can go a long way.
In 2019, Alaska’s Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) sought to modernize its equipment and operations. They were dissatisfied with the performance of the gearmotors on their baggage transport conveyors and began searching for new suppliers. Regal approached FAI with a solution that could improve equipment performance and simplify maintenance, with the added benefit of energy cost savings: the Hub City® MOD Drive™ system.
This white paper discusses the hardware deployed, the test results and the annualized expectations for ROI.