Rendering of proposed new main terminal atrium at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson. (Image: City of Atlanta)
We’ve always thought that Atlanta’s sprawling Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport airport looks and works a lot like a Xerox machine- not too pretty, but efficient, reliable and easy to understand.
But this week airport officials announced plans to spend nearly half a billion dollars to overhaul the main domestic terminal and concourses T, A, B, C and D.
From what we’ve seen, it appears that the entire airport will eventually look a lot like the new International concourse F with plenty of smooth lines and more light.
Lots of light and designer touches inside ATL’s new Terminal F (Chris McGinnis)
The airport is currently asking for bids from companies that can do the work (now estimated at $430 million now, but you know what that means…), which will make the facilities brighter and airier, with larger windows and an airport atrium in the main terminal that offers lots of live plants and trees.
Besides the modernization, the project will also include the replacement of about half the existing jetways.
The three-year project is not expected to mean any disruptions for travelers or flight operations.
Below is a look at some more renderings of the remade facility. What do you think? Does the airport really need a makeover or does its current utilitarian look and feel work for you?
The new baggage claim area. (Image: City of Atlanta)
A new and improved ticketing area. (Image: City of Atlanta)
Curbside at the revamped domestic terminal includes a canopy. (Image: City of Atlanta)
What do you think? Does the airport really need a makeover or does its current utilitarian look and feel work for you?
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I can’t imagine having so much construction w/o disruptions, at least for those of us who live in ATL. How do you install a canopy and not impact building egress, parking, drop-offs and pick-ups?
they just took apart T A B and C what a mess for months and months now they are going to re-do it again??? should not have done anything before all of this … And maybe they can get some air conditioning down near the plane-trains it is hotter than @#$% down there all of the time… hot everwhere esp the skyclibs.. They really need to invest ins ome serious A/C
The airport definitely needs more light in several of the terminals; I’m all for that part!
My wish list is for more seating at the gates and a less tiring way to connect from A31 to B1.
In typical fashion the city will award the contracts to the same old vendors. The price is a joke by the time they add the so called art work it will be well over a billion dollars. Anyone using the new terminal will probably have to either go up or down on two elevators or stairs to get to the terminal like the new international terminal. The security area will still be the same, the gates will not increase and the jet ways will be changed but will we board any quicker. This again is a project to keep the favorite few in contribution money for the local politicians.
what a gigantic waste of money. I don’t care if you have a more architectural fru-fru look – how about spending all of those passenger taxes to pay for parking decks with solar arrays, more electric outlets in the passenger seating areas, a better HVAC system, improved filtration for air quality, and cleaner bathrooms? why? because politicians want to congratulate their cronies with lucrative contracts & folly funded by passenger and taxpayers.
I want to know who’s is paying for this? Oh right, me the taxpayer . . . Ridiculous!
The new international terminal looks incredibly cheap – particularly that cheesy, Lamps Plus-looking chandelier that you chose to feature in the article. As for the domestic atrium, who really spends any time there? The only parts of the airport that I think need some serious upgrades are the North Terminal ticketing & baggage areas (the Delta side looks just fine), and the very tired-looking Terminal T. Why spend the money on the rest? If they really need to do this, I suggest they hire the team behind Barcelona’s gorgeous terminal – which you also noted in a previous article.
A curbside canopy at the domestic terminals (presumably both) will be a welcome and long overdue benefit.
They screwed up the International Terminal so now you have to take a bus to the main terminal. They screwed up customs so now there are massive lines. Watch them do it to the rest of the Airport. I think that they are just trying to beat Miami as the worst airport in the world.
Pretty much a waste of money if you ask me…
“The three-year project is not expected to mean any disruptions for travelers or flight operations.”
The world’s busiest airport is refurbing 5 of 7 terminals with no disruptions?
That’s a tall order. Hope they’re right as I can’t go anywhere without going thru ATL.
Please for the love of God include a fix to the ground-side transportation system between Domestic and Intl terminals. The current shuttle setup is awful. It is far worse than the previous setup even without having to reclear security.