(Lucas Blair Simpson © SOM)įor those traveling as a family, there are restrooms with dedicated space for nursing, areas where traveling pets can do their business, as well as a sensory room for children.Īmong the airport’s unique features is The Kansas City Air Travel Experience, a mock aircraft cabin outfitted with seats, overhead bins, and a bathroom to comfort and familiarize passengers who may be uneasy about or new to flying. Other initiatives around the airport that promote accessibility and inclusivity include signage with large fonts, broad curb lanes and access roads that better accommodate wheelchairs, desks set to wheelchair-friendly height, large toilet stalls, all-gender bathroom facilities, and a quiet room developed with a local dementia advocacy group. Throughout the terminal are a number of art installations from local artists, including mosaics that preserve materials from the old airport, a 732-foot-long Missouri limestone wall, and a colorful wind spinners sculpture by Nick Cave.Īfter check-in and security, travelers proceed through two parallel concourses with retail shops and restaurants situated down the middle all of these spaces are on the same level to make the terminal more accessible. Many of the terminal’s materials were locally sourced and its wood is FSC-certified.

Slabs of hemlock run across the ceilings and a rich marble terrazzo covers the floor. Interiors are outfitted with warm-toned materials. Its entrance is flanked by large spans of glass and copper-colored aluminum, where a series of Y-columns line the entry to provide structural support in addition to visual interest. The new I-shaped structure spans just two levels, with departures on the upper floor and arrivals on the lower floor. After refining the designs and soliciting additional community feedback, the project took off. Soon after the initial renderings and design plans were revealed, AECOM tried to win back the project from the Maryland-based Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate and SOM team. When SOM first unveiled its design for the airport in 2017, it presented a more curvy structure. “That was a powerful idea that came directly from the residents of Kansas City.” (Lucas Blair Simpson © SOM) “From the earliest stages of our design process, we worked with the city to figure out different ways to make the terminal more inclusive and accessible, and to open the possibility of travel to people who may not have had that opportunity,” said SOM Managing Partner Laura Ettelman in a press release.

Kansas city airport southwest terminal