Projects: Transportation

Meghan Edwards -- Interior Design, 12/1/2011 2:00:00 AM

Project: San Francisco International Airport Terminal 2

In 1981, Gensler first renovated this terminal, which dates to 1951. Design principal Jeff Henry got to work two years ago on another major overhaul of the 650,000-square-foot facility. Artwork and sustainability are the hallmarks of the project. Check-in and bag drop take place at Corian counters sheltered by canopies surfaced in faux-wood acoustical paneling. Suspended from them are angular pendant fixtures by Wilmotte & Associés. But that's nothing compared to the size and drama of the steel-framed cloth sculpture hanging at the entry to security screening. Beyond the checkpoint, passengers enter a "recompose" area. Finally, after passing through the retail and food corridor-organic, of course-they reach the departures lounge. A "hydration station" refills water bottles, while trash bins are part of a composting and re­cycling program. Those features should add up to a $170,000 annual reduction in operation costs and, Henry hopes, certification as the first LEED Gold terminal in the U.S

Merit: Karim Rashid
Project: Università Station at Metropolitana di Napoli
Location: Naples, Italy

For a kaleidoscopic effect, a subway station's stainless-steel ceiling panels reflect LED-backlit lenticular prints and printed quartz flooring.

Project: Hyundai Card Air Lounge, Incheon International Airport
Location: South Korea

At a lounge for premium card members, the black-and-white palette plays out in granite cladding, lacquered millwork, and Eero Aarnio chairs.