LaGuardia Airport's New Terminal C
Project Stats
- Location
New York, New York
- Size
1,168,000 SF
- Market
- Expertise
A new future for Delta at LaGuardia
With cramped hallways, lackluster amenities, inefficiencies, and delays, Delta Air Lines’ terminals at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York City were slated for much-needed improvements. Corgan led the design of the new $4.7 billion Delta Terminal C, replacing the existing C and D Terminals and elevating its style and efficiency to meet the demands of modern airport travel.
The design consolidates 37 gates into one centralized hall, offering full-service check-ins, self-service kiosks, and efficient security screening lanes. The new terminal features wider concourses, larger gate hold rooms with more seating, and 30% more concessions space.
Construction challenges
Constricted by waterways and highways on both sides, the limited footprint necessitated a multiple-story facility, nearly doubling the size of the two terminals it replaced. Choreographed phased construction allowed gates to remain fully operational throughout the duration of the seven-year-long project.
Clean and bright
The design incorporates classic architecture, large-scale art installations, and best-in-class amenities for a sophisticated passenger experience. Double-height floor-to-ceiling glazing fills the expansive headhouse with light, showcasing views of the airfield and bay. Bright marble surfaces and wood-tone accents add richness and warmth, while art déco pendants and purple LED lighting illuminate the space indoors and out. At each end of the headhouse, triple-volume spaces express the building’s massive scale. The new Delta Sky Club features an all weather SkyDeck — an outdoor patio with retractable roof — that seats up to 650 guests and offers a cosmopolitan experience.
Terminal C is not just a functional, more seamless travel hub, but an attractive destination of its own. Art and design include both notable and subtle pieces throughout the terminal. The pendant lighting in parts of the terminal were repurposed from discarded city sky lights while other commissioned murals and sculptures, like Ronny Quevedo’s Pacha Cosmopolitanism Overtime or Rashid Johnson’s “The Travelers” Broken Crowd, welcome travelers and bring the city’s culture to life. The terminal also includes pieces on loan from the nearby Queens Museum, all created by artists who are from or live in New York.
Streamlined, sustainable operation
In keeping with New York’s fast-paced rhythm, streamlined operations with leading-edge technology increase efficiency and speed. Business travelers circumvent long check-in lines with a separate curbside express housed in a small building. Spacious corridors, intuitive wayfinding, and digital signage ease navigation and circulation flow, leading passengers toward amenities and gates.
Hold rooms with powered seating allow passengers to plug in and work or relax and spacious and flexible gates allow room for future expansion in anticipation of Delta’s unprecedented growth. Dual taxi lanes on the runway alleviate delays with quick turnaround times for aircraft, and five baggage carousels and convenient exit lanes cut down on passenger wait times.
The stylish interiors and efficient innovations elevate the passenger experience to meet the increasing demands of 21st-century world-class air travel for the international gateway to New York. The design of the new terminal also integrates sustainable technologies and improvements in energy efficiency, with the project obtaining LEED Silver certification. A New York City landmark, the terminal’s design combines world-class functionality with world-class beauty.
Awards
Interior Design, NYCxDESIGN Award
Interior Design, Best of Year Award Honoree
