International Arrivals Facility at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
International Arrivals Facility at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Text description provided by the architects. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) led the design team, replacing a 50-year-old arrivals facility with a dynamic structure nearly five times bigger, dramatically improving the passenger experience. The IAF comprises an aerial walkway—the longest of its kind in the world—a Grand Hall, and a secure corridor to increase the number of international-capable gates.
Arriving international passengers are immersed in the landscape of the Pacific Northwest as they cross the soaring aerial walkway with 360-degree views of Mount Rainier, and the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges. The walkway spans 780 feet across an active taxi lane, creating a rare moment for passengers to watch planes pass underneath. “It is magnificent from an architectural perspective,” said Washington Governor Jay Inslee at the project reveal. “That the walkway is a working piece of art.”
The walkway connects to IAF’s Grand Hall – an expansive, light-filled space with floor-to-ceiling windows. The building’s sweeping roofline tilts and arcs reflect the motion of a landing airplane. Site-specific artworks include “Magnetic Anomaly,” a set of three kinetic artworks created by Ned Kahn, suspended overhead and a colorful five-piece sculpture by Marela Zacarías, “Chalchiutlicue,” which floats above baggage claim carousels.
The interior design references elements of the Pacific Northwest–its plant life, terrain, and topography. The Grand Hall features a terrazzo floor with local stones, and entry portals lined with Douglas fir. Passengers depart the Passport Control area, alongside a small forest of evergreen trees, which culminates at ground level in a landscaped creek with native ferns and plantings nestled between granite slabs.
A new secure international corridor along the face of the existing A Concourse allows eight international wide-body aircraft gates direct access to the IAF, with dual-use for domestic flights, bolstering the building’s future flexibility. SEA is the nation’s first major hub airport to roll out ‘Bags First,’ a streamlined Customs and Border Protection entrance process.
