This iconic structure creates a powerful identity for both the airport and the City of San Francisco. Its form and aesthetic stem directly from functional necessity—the roof’s wing-like form directly expresses the structural diagram of its bending forces. So the facility would remain operational in the event of a major earthquake, SOM engineered the structure to the highest seismic safety requirements ever imposed on an American airport terminal. This strategy incorporated the most ambitious use of base isolation technology for the time.

Project Facts

Completion Year: 2000
Site Area: 1,000,000 ft²
Project Area: 1,800,000 ft²
Building Height: 144 ft
Number of Stories: 5

Project Awards

2003 • Graphics International • Graphic Design Award
2002 • AIA • National Honor Award for Architecture
2002 • AIA • National Honor Award for Interior Architecture
2002 • Structural Engineers Association of Illinois • Excellence in Structural Engineering: Award of Merit
2001 • AIA - California Council • Honor Award
2001 • AIA - San Francisco Chapter • Best of the Bay and Beyond: Interior Architecture
2001 • American Institute of Steel Construction • Engineering Award of Excellence: Merit Award
2001 • American Institute of Steel Construction • Innovative Design and Excellence In Architecture with Steel: First Place
2001 • British Council for Offices • Award for Graphics and Wayfinding Signage
2001 • Structural Engineers Association of California • Award of Excellence: Landmark Structures Category
2000 • AIA - San Francisco Chapter • Best of Show: Honor Award