The Evolution of Airport Design: Philosophy, Function and Form

The aim of this research is to understand the line of development of airport design and consider whether airport architecture is inherently transient and doomed to obsolescence.

Little has been written about the multidisciplinary nature of airport design and why, when, where and how new airport concepts have evolved so this is the contribution of this thesis. Airport design is different from other forms of architecture and engineering by virtue of the sheer scale of the development which is more akin to city planning. Because it is on a city scale it requires the input of many disciplines with different philosophies.

This thesis analyses the role of architectural philosophies such as Futurism in capturing the spirit of flight and facilitating growth and change, the engineering approach to safety and operational robustness, the planning focus on connectivity and the environmentalist’s concern with sustainability.

The primary influences on the evolution of airport design, such as airline growth, aircraft characteristics, safety and security and commercial viability are considered, together with how technological advances in communication, mechanisation, automation and digitisation have helped airports avoid obsolescence.

The evolution of design response has been looked at through several lenses: the architect concerned with the layout and form of the terminal, the engineer focusing on the design of the airfield, the planner developing the airport as an interchange, and the environmentalist making airport development sustainable.

There are case studies to show which concepts have been flexible enough to accommodate growth and change. It concludes that the evolution of airport design can best be categorised in a series of stages each of some two decades.

Pioneering Era 1920 to 1940

Evolutionary Phase 1940 to 1960

Jet Age 1960 to 1980

Transfer Interchange 1980 to 2000

Mega Hub 2000 to 2020

This research considers which airports have been adaptable, survived best and avoided obsolescence. The thesis concludes that airport master plan and terminal concepts have largely evolved in response to increasing traffic volumes, and that those that have proved most durable and avoided obsolescence are those that have planned for growth and change from the outset.