Seattle-Tacoma International Airport(SEA Tacoma) has opened its new N Concourse, known as the North Satellite Modernisation Project. The opening took place on 4 November with the airport debuting its first-ever art and cultural festival. A dedicated performance stage hosted live music performances, a poetry reading and spoken word.
“This event celebrates the natural and cultural richness of the Pacific Northwest,” said Port of Seattle Commission President, Fred Felleman. “The building embodies our values of creating economic opportunities in an inclusive and environmentally responsible manner.”
The airport’s newly renovated N Concourse – by Design Architect Fentress Architects and Architect of Record AECOM with construction company, Hensel Phelps – features modern amenities, seismic upgrades, sustainable features and improved building function.
Fentress Architects’s Principal in Charge of Design, Curtis Fentress, said the N Concourse, which took four years to complete, is now “emblematic of the Pacific Northwest, its majestic sights and sounds. Every element of the design works in concert to orient travellers, as it greets visitors and welcomes home residents.”
Passengers will benefit from a brighter, bolder space with more dining and retail options, as well as a diverse art collection that reflects the culture, spirit and history of the region, nature inspired design and a brand-new performance stage.
The concourse also features 10 new passenger gates, an impressive Alaska Airlines Lounge and to demonstrate the sustainability of the project the airport’s first system to collect and reuse rainwater. Rainwater captured from the roof is used to flush toilets, which will save 2.8 million gallons of potable water annually, the equivalent of 4.5 Olympic-sized swimming pools. In addition, 20,000 tonnes of construction waste was recycled and thus diverted from landfills, and nearly $21m of recycled materials were used on the project. Energy efficient LED lighting, heating and cooling methods save approximately 1.7 million kWh annually, which is equal to the annual energy usage of 170 homes.
