Nietos. Experience-based airport terminal design : visual, functional and environmental approach

The design-oriented master’s thesis focuses on the design of an airport terminal that aims to provide a pleasant terminal experience for both passengers and visitors. The thesis aims to study how considering the experiential viewpoint could enhance a generic and somewhat complex airport environment and be a part of the travel experience. The terminal experience is studied through the architectural appearance, and visual features for passenger orientation (wayfinding) support, together with providing both passengers and non-travelling visitors the possibility to enjoy watching flight operations (presence of flight activity).

The architecture pursues a contemporary, holistic appearance that invites passengers and visitors to explore and experience the terminal from the outside to the inside. The aim is to utilize unique features of an airport, such as the security fencing of the airside and the bird’s eye perspective of the arrival direction. The design aims to relieve typical issues experienced in the terminal process such as the anxiety caused by time pressure and the complexity of airports, especially among inexperienced travellers. The architecture takes part in the passenger’s journey as a part of the journey rather than being a necessity for action to take place. Also, the concept explores the participation of the terminal architecture in the observation of airport operations. The terminal is considered a place where not only the passengers but also the non-passengers can observe and experience the airport and terminal activity. Additionally, the terminal is considered as a place that centralizes aviation-related activity for visitors.

The experiential airport concept is set in a scenario where the passenger and tourist volume has considerably increased, and an experiential airport concept is required to direct tourist flow in Lapland. This master’s thesis uses architectural and user-centred approaches to provide an airport terminal that makes a modern first impression and serves as a “visit card” for the beautiful nature of the North.