Inches of brilliance enliven Terminal 1's same old, same old

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Archiseek / Canada / News / 2004 / April 22

The new $3.6-billion Terminal 1 at Toronto Pearson International Airport is so expensive it makes the downtown redevelopments in Montreal and Toronto seem like child's play. Let's imagine that it makes sense to double the airport's capacity, from 25 million to 50 million passengers, in the next decade. Let's pretend that the hobbled airlines and disgruntled passengers are delighted to pay for what is now ranked as one of the world's most expensive airports. Architecture -- scintillating and innovative -- might have worked as a panacea to help lessen the financial burden deposited by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority. But, with the airport design led by Moshe Safdie of Boston and David Childs of New York's Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), don't expect a complete recovery. Travellers can expect some exhilarating moments in architecture and some grey skies. The most pleasurable jolts come from the brilliant graphics and the heavy injection of invigorating public art.

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