LaGuardia Terminal B Arrivals and Departures Hall

LaGuardia Airport Terminal B Arrivals and Departures Hall (aka headhouse) is a highly efficient yet adaptable terminal that completely transforms the passenger experience while paying homage to the architectural grandeur and individuality of New York City. The four-story, 850,000-sq.-ft. the facility houses passenger services and amenities, including airline check-in, baggage drop-off and pick-up, and security. These enhancements are supplemented by extensive food, beverage, and retail options as well as a dynamic public art program. The steel-framed terminal, with its linear, precisely articulated, and dynamic form presents a modern, cohesive face to both the landside and airside. It replaces a disjointed patchwork of structures with one that closely follows the curves of the Grand Central Parkway (GCP) and the airport access roads.

Connected to two island concourses by a pair of 450-foot-long steel truss pedestrian bridges, the headhouse serves as the nexus of the new Terminal B. From these transparent-walled bridges, elevated 65 feet above grade, arriving and departing passengers can enjoy panoramic skyline and airfield views as taxiing planes pass beneath them. The bridges offer more than a sleek appearance. They enabled the design team to move the terminal 600 feet closer to the GCP.

This approach, on which HOK collaborated with Vantage Airport Group, allowed for the construction of two additional miles of aircraft taxi lanes that will reduce airport ground delays. The new Terminal B treats arrivals and departures with equal emphasis. This challenged the widespread practice among airports of offering the most monumental spaces to departures while relegating low-ceilinged, basement-like zones to arrivals. At LaGuardia’s new Terminal B, incoming and outgoing passengers will share soaring, airy, grand-scaled sequences.

Inside the terminal, all check-in and passenger screening areas are located on the third floor. As needs change, this location will give Terminal B the adaptability to accommodate evolving security screening and technology. Instead of providing rigid parameters for each of its airline tenants, the ‘common-use’ design allows airlines to move easily within the terminal, expanding or shrinking their footprints within the terminal. The sustainable design strategies in the new Terminal B, which is targeting LEED Silver certification, include generous use of non-glare daylighting, passive shading, natural local materials, and storm resiliency.

The efficient new infrastructure and layout will reduce the airport’s overall carbon footprint due to lower fuel demands from taxiing aircraft. The team designed a simplified and intuitive circulation network comprising over eight miles of new roadway and 20 new bridges that provide an effortless connection from the airport to the GCP and New York City. The construction phasing strategy enabled the continual operation of the existing airport while seamlessly shifting to the new infrastructure as construction was completed.

Project Info:
Architects: HOK
Location: Queens, United States
Area: 850000 ft²
Project Year: 2020
Photographs: Courtesy of LaGuardia Gateway Partners
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