What is the Super Bowl, the word “tweenWhat do Terminal 1 at the San Diego International Airport and … have in common?
They all began in 1967.
Rob Winn, 69, was a teenager when Terminal 1 first opened—and standing in the front area of Terminal 1 on Friday, he mentioned that the terminal has been sufficient.
“It has been satisfactory,” he remarked about his experience traveling in and out of Terminal 1, noting that he isn’t very familiar with the facilities at the new terminal, which is set to begin its first phase in September.
The existing Terminal 1 — which has14 gates in use — will be demolishedfollowing the inauguration of the initial stage of the new terminal.
The initial phase will feature 19 gates within a “attractive, contemporary, and more efficient” facility,according to the airport.
There will be 30 dining establishments and a variety of public art initiatives, including a significant onejellyfish sculptureat the terminal by artist Matthew Mazzotta.
Two abstract sculptures created by artist and academic Walter J. Hood — the bigger one standing 40 feet high — are being built near the entrance ramp to the new terminal’s ground transportation area,which opened July 16.
The airport also stated on Tuesday that it will open a new three-lane road on August 1, offering a continuous, high-volume path directly to Terminals 1 and 2.
A parking complex featuring over 5,200 parking spots and wasfinalizedin June, and the second phase of the new terminal, which includes 11 additional gates, is expected to be finished in 2028.
The airport states that the new terminal is required to handle a larger number of passengers.
In 2024, more than 25 millionpassengers went through the San Diego airport, in comparison to2.5 millionwhen Terminal 1 was inaugurated in 1967.
The airport projects that by 2035, the total number of travelers passing through both terminals each year willincrease to 39 million— which is the number of passengers the new terminal will enable the airport to accommodateaccommodate.
The construction of the new Terminal 1 is led by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, an organization responsible for the airport’s daily management and acting as the long-term planning body for air travel in the area.
The newly constructed Terminal 1 is a $3.8 billion initiative supported by lease agreements and operational contracts with airlines, along with federal funding —$75 million so far— through the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’sAirport Terminals Program.
The airport authority has pledgedto carry out public transportation infrastructure initiatives at the airport that have been suggested by SANDAG, the county’s planning organization.
The historical development of Terminal 1’s architecture
In his essayregarding the architectural style of the present Terminal 1, airport terminal architect Joseph Barden discusses the building’sBrutalist aesthetic, which is marked by rough concrete and towering, bulky forms that mirrored the preferences of the time.
As per Barden, Terminal 1 was constructed prior to the installation of jet bridges, coinciding with the rise of commercial aviation in the United States.
Barden states that the terminal features two-story rotundas due to the advantages of accommodating several airplanes along a circular layout.
“The additional space required for more passenger seats, restrooms, and facilities eventually led to the rotunda design becoming less favored for later terminal buildings at SAN and worldwide,” Barden wrote.
Buildings with unique shapes, where their scale and strength are enhanced by rough textures, are key features of Brutalism,according toa professional organization for architects
As stated by Barden, the waffle-like design on the concrete exterior and canopy at Terminal 1 serves as a welcoming feature for passengers waiting in the entrance area.
Terminal 1 is “a distinctive architectural style that floats on narrow, tree-shaped columns,” Barden writes, noting that the terminal’s designers may have been inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s work.Johnson Wax Headquarters.
According toThe Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, at the Johnson Wax Headquarters—featuring dendriform columns similar to those at the airport—Wright integrated “traditions of communal organization with modern materials and structures to support new social and economic activities.”
The foundation states that at the Johnson Wax Headquarters, the architect embraced “radical conservatism” by examining the past while envisioning fresh opportunities.
As stated by Barden, the waffle-like design on the concrete exterior and canopy at Terminal 1 serves as a welcoming feature for passengers waiting in the entrance area.
The slender, tree-shaped pillars that hold up the overhang form what Barden refers to as “[essentially] a big canopy for solar shading.”
