Pittsburgh International Airport opens innovative outdoor terrace
For decades, airports have been designed around efficiency — moving passengers from curb to gate as quickly as possible. But Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal is helping change that model by making outdoor public spaces a central part of the travel experience.
On Wednesday, the airport unveiled the pre-security UPMC Terrace, a 36,000-square-foot outdoor space designed to provide travelers, visitors and employees with access to fresh air, natural light, landscaping and views of airport operations.
The terrace features a walkway, seating areas and plantings inspired by the natural landscape of Western Pennsylvania. Visitors can access the space on the Arrivals Level near the VisitPittsburgh desk at the Welcome Point or between baggage carousels 5-8.
Christine Cassotis, Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO, said the terrace represents a new approach to airport design by creating a space where people can relax and experience the character of the region.
“We are one of the few airports in the United States that has access to the outdoors like this without the cost of entering; you don’t have to pay, you don’t have to be a member of a certain club,” she said during Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“The terraces are redefining what it means to be an airport. I think this will surprise a lot of people, and people will say, ‘Oh, I had no idea you could do this.’”
The terrace was made possible through support from UPMC and the Richard King Mellon Foundation.
County Executive Sara Innamorato said one of the most important features of the space is that it is available to everyone.
“What I love most about it is — yes, the beauty and the accessibility — but really you don’t have to have club access or really be flying business class to be able to experience this beautiful space,” Innamorato said. “This is for everyone.”
The Pittsburgh airport is among the first major U.S. airports to incorporate multiple outdoor terraces directly into a new terminal design, with publicly accessible spaces available both before and after security.
Most airport outdoor areas today are located outside terminals or restricted to airline lounges. The local airport’s design includes public spaces intended for travelers, airport employees, families greeting arriving passengers and community members.
Additional outdoor spaces planned for the new terminal include another pre-security terrace on the Arrivals Level, the Green Spine near the parking garage and two post-security terraces for ticketed passengers.
The terraces recall an earlier era of air travel when airports were destinations for visitors as well as transportation hubs.
The former Pittsburgh International Airport terminal, which opened in 1952, featured observation decks and the popular Horizon Room, where visitors could watch aircraft activity from above the airfield. Families routinely visited the airport to watch planes, and the observation areas became popular locations for wedding and prom photos.
Those spaces disappeared as airports changed following increased security concerns and shifting priorities toward passenger processing and retail space. Pittsburgh specifically lost its large public observation areas with the opening of the midfield terminal in 1992.
Other airports, including San Diego International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and Denver International Airport, have added outdoor spaces in recent years, although many are located after security or outside terminal buildings.
Pittsburgh International’s approach is different because the UPMC Terrace is open to anyone, said Brian Gongaware, a project architect with Gensler who collaborated with HDR and luis vidal+architects on the terminal design.
“They can spend time together,” he said. “Whether your loved one just arrived home from a long trip or you just want to take a moment to catch up, these terraces provide that for you.”
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