Terminal lounging

New Australian airport spaces combine engineering, brand and design

Modern airports are incredible works of architecture, whether a colossal shining new-build facility like Beijing’s new airport in Daxing to the south of the city, or any number of older airports consisting of a warren of buildings – connected or not – that have felt the tread of generations of passengers’ feet.

These spaces are often more engineered than designed, with requirements for security, safety, accessibility, robustness and even fire safety creating a complex envelope in which to create the passenger experience. (Cathay Pacific, for example, had to design its Solus pod chair to include options with and without a coloured transparent privacy wraparound owing to fire regulations in certain airport terminals restricting furniture height. ) But once the basics are in place, it’s time for the designers to get going.