Recently, amid the ongoing state of flux, valiant attempts have been made to anticipate future needs. Some airports, like KUL (Kuala Lumpur), have gone “green,” with entire forests, waterfalls and sunken gardens inserted under glass to help reduce terminal angst. Other air terminals, such as LHR’s (London) Terminal 4 and SIN (Singapore’s Changi), have added health spas to calm our nerves. Even the departure lounge has become a place of unexpected downtime. Terminals shaped by speed now evoke the quality of slowness.

Architects have attempted to reinstate a clear, simple order to overcrowded concourses by replacing confusing labyrinths with natural pathways. This is what environmental psychologists refer to as “intuitive way finding.” “The architecture provides clues as to how the visitor should move from curb to plane,” says architect Anthony Vacchione, who was in charge of designing Terminal 4 at JFK. “When you walk in the front entrance, you immediately see the tails of the planes and know which direction to go.” The same team of architects recently completed a phase one expansion, designed with the future in mind, at YYZ (Toronto). Airbus A380-type gates will be able to accommodate the superjumbo’s wingspan as well as gate-holding areas that can handle 600 passengers. “We used generous open space to create the most comfortable experience for the passengers,” explains Vacchione.

For most airports, the new A380 will mean millions of dollars in upgrades. But the past tells us that the only thing consistent about airports has been restless change. As one veteran airline pilot put it, “I have yet to land at an airport that was finished.” Or as a construction sign at EWR (Newark, N.J.) says, “Excuse our appearances. We are tearing down yesterday to make way for tomorrow.”

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