meanwhile, on the tarmac and off the ‘net
In the latest issue of Cite Magazine I review the latest expansion of Intercontinental Airport:
Here’s what IAH says about Houston: We’re quite good at raising a lot of money. We have the engineering skill to take on large and complicated projects. We have the architectural skill to design quite striking buildings when we feel like it. But when it comes to planning, or anticipating the future, we’re not that smart.
There’s been $3 billion in construction at IAH since 1998. The result is a much more capable airport, with more runways, more gates, new customs facilities, and, most importantly, better food courts.
But despite the ammenities, IAH is harder than ever to get around:
Terminals A, B, and C straddle the airport access roads, so each of them is interrupted in the center by a ticketing hall. Terminals D and E are on only one side of the access roads and are both connected to Terminal C. Thus, Terminal E to the north side of Terminal C is an almost seamless transition, while Terminal C to the other side of Terminal C requires walking across two sky bridges and the length of a ticketing hall. If you don’t know the airport by heart, you’re beholden to the signs. And while the signage is fine, good signage is no match for a layout that makes sense in the first place.
IAH made sense once: the original plan was clear and visionary. Unfortunately, reality — in the form of security checkpoints, hub-and-spoke systems, and terminal retail — intervened.
And it turns out I’m not the only one who wishes the airport were more clearly laid out. Last October, the Houston Airport System unveiled a new master plan (pdf brochure). The plan: tear almost everything down and start over.
More on how we got here in Cite. Unfortunately, Cite hasn’t made it online yet (we’re working on it). But copies are available at Brazos Bookstore, Issues, and the MFA.