Sacramento International Airport Central Terminal B and Airside Concourse, Sacramento, Calif.

by Jonathan McGaha | December 12, 2011 12:00 am

Located 12 miles from the other busy hubs of Sacramento, Calif., the Sacramento International Airport recently expanded with the addition of Central Terminal B and its Airside Concourse. A design effort between Dallas based Corgan Associates Inc. and Denver-based Fentress Architects, the two-building project seeks to honor the region’s Central Valley, stretching from the coastal range to the Sierra Nevadas. The 740,000-square-foot terminal features a 316,000-square-foot airside concourse and a 424,000-square-foot landside terminal.

Opened in 1967, Sacramento International Airport was originally known as the Sacramento Metropolitan Airport. During its first year in operation, the airport saw more than 1 million passengers travel through its terminals. In the 1990s, continued passenger growth and the expansion of the airport facilities, including a first-of-its-kind consolidated rental car terminal, fostered the transition from a small airport serving the Sacramento Valley to the Sacramento International Airport, which today serves as a major transportation hub with service from 12 major airlines.

The project was designed with sensitivity to the cultural and natural environment of northern California and Sacramento, also known as the “City of Trees.” Within the terminal’s interior, the team worked with artists from around the country to create a world class, integrated public art experience. The exposed structural steel beams in the skylight and terminal ceiling create a light and lacy feel, evoking the imagery of tree branches. Geometric landscape lines inform the floor patterns and surface finishes further enhance the visual metaphor.

The tree metaphor continued throughout the design as Fentress and Corgan implemented a phasing strategy so that the airport expansion took place without disrupting the airport’s daily activities. Additionally, the Sacramento International Airport blends an aesthetically pleasing design with the latest technology. The expansion contains “smart columns” that include airport speakers, strobe lights and flight information displays. Other features include international-style ticketing islands to improve access and efficiency, an easy-to-navigate layout to get passengers to their destinations, and a two-sided, two-level road system allowing easier and faster access for arrivals and departures. The roof structures and design accommodate the possibility of future expansion.

Specifically designed to meet LEED Silver standards, the landside terminal includes 68,000 square feet of 4-mm Reynobond RB160FR FR panels from Alcoa Architectural Products, Eastman, Ga. The terminal’s pedestrian bridge includes soffits of Moon Township, Pa.-based CENTRIA’s 0.5-inch-thick 3003-H14 Aluminum IW-10A Concealed Fastener panels while the south eyebrow canopy features CENTRIA’s 3/4-inch 20-gauge Econolap screenwall with 40 percent perforation.

The airside concourse features 64,251 square feet of 4-mm aluminum composite material panels with a PE core and a CW300/CW300XL finish from Alcoa Architectural Products. Alsip, Ill.-based Doralco Architectural Systems fabricated the metal panels and created custom sunshades for the structure, while Redding, Calif.-based Wonder Metals Corp. provided louvers. The sunshades work with high-performance glass found throughout the structure so that the facility receives abundant sunlight and meets thermal requirements without causing the building’s occupants discomfort.

Alcoa Architectural Products, www.alcoaarchitecturalproducts.com[1]

CENTRIA, www.centria.com/reimaginemetal[2]

Doralco Architectural Systems, www.doralco.com[3]

Wonder Metals Corp., www.wondermetals.com[4]

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/projects/sacramento-international-airport-central-terminal-b-and-airside-concourse-sacramento-calif/

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