The Long Hall – an airport expansion designed not to feel like one

Edmonton International Airport Expansion

How do you make a half-kilometer (over a quarter mile) corridor not feel like an endless and insurmountable trek.

That was the challenge facing Stantec when we were awarded the Edmonton International Airport expansion project. Passenger traffic was growing. The economy was booming. The airport needed more capacity, but the only way to expand was straight out along a wing that was already long.

The solution uses the architecture to break up the space, giving passengers the sense that they’re moving through a succession of rooms, rather than along an endless hallway. And the “rooms” are passenger gates, so differentiating them by varying the roof form makes them easier to find, something the average—often harried—traveler will welcome.

One of its most memorable features is the living wall, the first in any airport in North America. A full two stories high, it’s hard to miss, and serves as a symbol of the airport’s commitment to sustainable design. This expansion is the first LEED Gold Certified airport terminal in Canada.