In 2015, H-JAIA tasked the design team to modernize its terminal to improve the passenger experience and create an architectural icon appropriate for the world’s busiest and most efficient airport. If successful, the design would represent a sustainable model for aviation architecture by dramatically reducing the existing facility's solar heat gain and reducing embodied carbon by over 50% compared with new terminal construction.

The challenge included providing a new and iconic design that addressed the airport's goals for modernization while minimizing impacts on the existing facility and maintaining operations during construction. Steel trusses and diagrids were used to create a visually unique system capable of spanning over the roadway and being supported by the existing terminal while being completely driven by structural efficiency. ETFE was chosen as the cladding due to its lightweight material properties, and also allowed for the iconic lighting system to provide a unique and variable feature for welcoming passengers to Atlanta.

The solution creates a new, world-class experience embracing the buzz of the world’s busiest airport, giving passengers a sense of ease and clarity while navigating the 400,000 sq. ft. domestic terminal. Visitors arrive and depart under two new, transparent canopies providing shelter and comfort from Atlanta’s ever-changing weather while maintaining access to views of the sky and daylight. The design utilizes state-of-the-art design and materials to provide a new, modern, and efficient front door to the airport without interruption of services.