Passenger Terminal World - Passenger Terminal World Annual Showcase 2025
Embracing solutions inspired by other sectors has helped maximize infrastructure and commercial returns at Kansai International Airport in Japan
2024-10-17 08:21:16
LATERAL THINKING
Populous is a design firm that began with a singular focus – to draw people together around the things they love, through experiences that capture all the senses. With a global headquarters in Kansas City and regional headquarters in London and Brisbane, Populous has specialists across a range of disciplines in its design team, from architecture and interior design to branded environments, urban planning, event design and landscape architecture.
Best known for designing iconic spaces for some of the world’s most renowned names in sport and entertainment – including London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Accor Stadium in Sydney, Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park and Sphere arena in Las Vegas – Populous has now transferred its expertise in experiential design to airport terminal design. Here, Populous’s Mark Wolfe, head of aviation for Aus/NZ and EMEA, shares some lessons learned from the company’s latest project.
Tell me about some of the key projects your team has worked on.
We have recently been working on all elements of the experiential design development and vision for the passenger pathway at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas.
In the Philippines, Populous was the lead interior designer and retail planner for Clark International Airport’s new terminal, a project that was selected as a finalist in the prestigious 2021 Prix Versailles Awards, airport category.
We have also had a significant focus on the Australian market and have recently been appointed to two significant terminal expansion projects there, which will be announced in the near future.
The Kansai project in Japan is a fascinating one. Originally designed by Renzo Piano, the airport is still considered an architectural icon to this day. It was intended to have a 50:50 international/domestic split, but over the years domestic use has reduced while international passenger traffic has increased significantly. By 2016, it had shifted to an 80:20 split. As a result, the international areas had become severely undersized, and long queues throughout the terminal were commonplace.
Populous’s design enables Kansai International Airport to secure its long-term growth by making the best possible use of existing infrastructure and maximizing commercial return in a cost-efficient way. The major redevelopment has been phased so that operations can continue in the run-up to final completion, which will take place in time to support Osaka’s hosting of World Expo 2025.
How does your experience designing the user journey contribute to optimizing the passenger experience?
Our experience with the transformation of a city or a district – often with a stadium or arena at the heart of mixed-use developments – extends to airports as the gateway to those cities. As the modern airport emerges as the common thread among global travelers, what matters most is creating a memorable journey.
Whether that is the start of an outbound journey or a first impression of a city on arrival, the type of experiential design that we specialize in makes us uniquely placed to design terminal buildings that enhance the user experience and reflect the city they represent. This is especially the case in an era when global events and experience tourism are at an all-time high. If people travel to search for incredible experiences, then their point of arrival should reflect that.
It also feels like airports are rediscovering their significance as a civic asset and are re-focusing on their role as a gateway to a county, city or region. So it really is absolutely fundamental that visitors’ experiences reflect positively.
How do you support sustainable and profitable operations at airports? Going back to Kansai Airport, through a multiphased construction plan spanning six years our team has been able to overcome the challenges associated with executing the terminal-wide renovation project and minimize disruptions to the airport’s operations. Creating a seamless passenger processing experience, the new design comfortably accommodates a 25% increase in international capacity, with an overall terminal capacity shifting from 19.4 million passengers per year up to 30 million.
The departure lounge and retail spaces will increase by 60%, with world-first retail layouts that respond to the passengers’ experiences and moods. Breaking away from the existing gray color scheme, the interior spaces have been reinvigorated with a palette of natural materials to give the terminal a distinctly Japanese feel. This will help transform the arrival experience of each journey into something more inspirational. While we explore design through the lens of experience, we also strive for a commercial outcome. So, we might create different premium products or experiences that customers or passengers want and are willing to pay for. This really responds to the idea of people customizing their own journeys and having choices in how they navigate the airport.
Ultimately, what we are creating are places that are so engaging that people are inclined to come earlier, spend more time and, of course, spend more money.
What challenges do you face when designing for different types of users?
In the same way that old stadiums catered mainly to their core market (home fans), many airports built their operations around four basic sectors of users – business, leisure, international and domestic travelers.
Yet there are so many people that go through an airport, often with differing requirements and agendas and they all want to see and feel different things. Some are in a rush, some have plenty of time, some are traveling with a large group, some are looking for cultural experiences, some just want to sit quietly, and there are many who use the same few airports regularly.
If we take a parallel from the sports industry, we can see how a shift in thinking around the types of users can design a whole new ecosystem for the operator.
"People are inclined to come earlier, spend more time and, of course, spend more money Mark Wolfe, Populous"
For Tottenham Hotspur in London, we created a whole range of experiences inside and outside the new stadium. These experiences have been designed to increase arrival and dwell time, to provide a ‘new’ experience in terms of food and beverage options for visitors at all price points, and to connect the stadium with the wider community every day of the week.
This positive connection with the community is another common thread – the impact of venues and airports on local communities has often been seen as negative. There’s a real opportunity to be a good neighbor by providing amenities and facilities that can be enjoyed by all.
How have you applied your experience in major event venues to your work in the travel industry?
A good example is crowd management. Stadiums and convention centers host large crowds that require effective crowd management strategies. We have valuable experience and digital simulation tools for optimizing movement, ensuring safety and providing clear wayfinding solutions. These skills are critical for managing passenger volumes efficiently while maintaining safety and comfort.
Similarly, stadiums and convention centers both use cutting-edge technologies to enhance their visitor experience. Learning how to integrate advanced audiovisual systems, digital signage and connectivity solutions prepares designers to create modern, tech-savvy airport terminals that provide passengers with real-time information and entertainment options.
The lessons and experiences our architects and designers take from convention center and stadium design enhance their skills and knowledge when tackling the complex challenges of airport terminal design. By applying principles of multifunctionality, crowd management, technology integration, sustainability, accessibility, aesthetics and collaboration, our designers can create innovative and efficient airport terminals – ones that not only meet the functional needs of travelers, but also leave a lasting impression as aesthetically pleasing spaces and enhance the entire traveler experience.
Kansai International Airport’s results
“To secure the long-term future of Kansai Airport, it was vital that we maximized the potential of the existing Terminal 1,” says Masayuki Kuwaki, head of technical departments at Kansai International Airport. “Populous has helped us grow our international passenger traffic and improve our commercial offerings. We have already noticed a significant increase in both the passenger spend per pax and our ability to ensure a more seamless passenger processing.”
Benoit Rulleau, co-CEO of Kansai International, adds, “Populous has helped Kansai International Airport Terminal 1 elevate the passenger experience through larger and faster processing areas and a commercial and F&B experience that is authentically local. We have brought in a unique sense of place through both the design aesthetic and the offerings that highlight the best of our region.”
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