PROJECT HISTORY
The challenge
The design of the new international terminal at Guadalajara Airport needed to focus on customer experience and sustainability.
Guadalajara Airport Terminal 2
Putting the passenger experience at the heart of airport design
The solution
Design strategies that reflect the local context, help to ease passenger stress points, offer a range of amenities and reduce the terminal’s energy use and carbon footprint.
The impact
Guadalajara Airport’s Terminal 2 will enhance travel in one of the first net-zero airports in the world.
60%
reduction in the airport’s energy use
90%
reduction in the airport’s carbon footprint
The challenge
The Pacific coast of Mexico is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world, with millions of tourists visiting the area every year.
Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP) wanted to expand the existing Guadalajara Airport, and explored the idea of building a 30-gate, 1.2 million-square-foot new terminal that caters to international travelers.
To set the project in motion, GAP selected Arcadis (formerly CallisonRTKL) to design an energy-efficient terminal that celebrates Mexican culture and makes the airport experience more enjoyable.
The solution
Arcadis worked with GAP to address the pain points customers feel when they go to the airport, whether it’s finding their way around the terminal or saying goodbye to family and friends. Stress-relieving features, such as biophilic design, are introduced the moment travelers arrive inside the building, where large windows reveal local flora and the surrounding mountainside.
The schematic design gives passengers a clear line of sight from inside the ticketing hall, making the journey from drop-off to the terminal gate easy and straightforward. Designated spaces throughout Terminal 2 help to ease the transition of moving from one part of the airport to the next. And the open layout removes the mystery of where to find the baggage claim and other services.
Arcadis infused local Mexican culture as a key design element—from canyon-like ceilings to agave-inspired structural features. Two galleries, both of which will showcase a variety of art, from abstractions to interactive media, provide a place for passengers to relax or spend time with loved ones. Performance spaces are available for use by local entertainers while passengers wait to board their flights. Additional comforts include locally themed restaurants and bars, hospitality like amenities, meditation rooms, pet care and other facilities.
To design an environmentally friendly terminal, Arcadis began with a climate study before introducing multiple environmental strategies across the airport, such as electric solar panels and mechanical cooling systems that filter sunlight to create an internally climate-controlled space. While typical terminal designs emit more than thirty thousand metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, the new Guadalajara Airport would be zero carbon for operation.
The impact
Today’s airport design goes beyond transportation. From eco-friendly interior gardens to comfortable waiting areas, Guadalajara Airport’s Terminal 2 is designed with the passenger in mind. The terminal’s services and amenities offer travelers everything they need in a hassle-free environment. And whether they’re arriving or departing, the terminal’s authentic Mexican design connects them to the food, music and culture inspired by Guadalajara.
It all helps to mitigate the stress of international travel in an airport that’s also striving to be planet positive. By embracing a holistic design approach and using research-backed, sustainable strategies, designers have built a plan that will reduce Guadalajara Airport’s energy use by 60 percent and its carbon footprint by over 90 percent, with a goal of making it one of the first net-zero airports in the world.
