The Salt Lake City Department of Airports is holding a ceremony to reveal the new large-scale art installations in the passenger terminal and progress of the new airport, which is scheduled to open on Sept. 15.
The virtual celebration will include comments from local and state government leaders, as well as leaders from the airport and Delta Air Lines. The program will include a blessing/land acknowledgement, a drape drop to reveal The Canyon art installation, placement of items in a time capsule and tours of the facility. It will begin at 9:30 am MST. Watch it here.
This first phase of the $4.1 billion Salt Lake City International Airport project, which began in 2014, includes a 909,000-sq.-ft. central terminal building and two linear concourses with 45 new gates. A passenger tunnel links these two concourses.
The second phase, expected to be complete in 2024, will include a south concourse with 22 additional gates. When complete, the airport will be able to accommodate 34 million passengers a year, supporting the region’s growing hospitality and tourism industry.
HOK’s design celebrates the passenger experience and establishes a definitive sense of place. A soaring interior atrium, equivalent to the length of a football field, features a 362-foot-long sculpture—”The Canyon”—by artist Gordon Huether. The design reflects the spirit of the state, including Utah’s red rock canyons, alpine peaks and moving water. Floor-to-ceiling glass draws in daylight and provides views of the Oquirrh and Wasatch Mountains. Naturally derived interior and exterior finishes connect passengers to the region’s beauty.
The new airport gives passengers a single-level journey from parking garage to the aircraft gate and includes features like a meet-and-greet area complete with a fireplace and museum displays and a ski drop to make travel easier for outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Restaurants are spaced throughout the gate areas and careful attention was paid to creating clear, intuitive wayfinding for travelers.
With a goal of establishing a U.S. benchmark for environmentally responsible airports, the team is pursuing LEED Gold certification for the project.