Renowned architect Santiago Calatrava just unveiled his design for a new rail station at the Denver International Airport as part of the location's South Terminal Redevelopment Program. The new expansion will add a rail link from downtown Denver that terminates at the airport as well as a hotel, a retail plaza and a rail bridge over Pena Boulevard. Calatrava, who has become known for his sweeping arches and impressive facades (and particularly, for his rail stations), will add his iconic style to the iconic airport as well the city of Denver.
Denver is one of the few international airports without a rail link — a vital source of efficient and low-carbon transportation. The new expansion will bring important new facilities to the airport and will connect it to the city core at Union Station with a FasTrack line terminating at Calatrava’s new arched transit station. The rail line will travel across a new rail bridge over Pena Boulevard and then heads straight into the heart of the commercial plaza and adjacent hotel.
The twin-tower, 500-room hotel was designed by Gensler and it fulfills the original 1995 airport plans to have a hotel on site. If you’ve ever gotten stuck at DIA, this new on-site hotel and conference center is a welcome addition compared to the distant off-site hotels you get sent to when you have to stay over night. The four additions to the airport will sit directly next to the existing peaked-roof Jeppesen Terminal along the same axis. Travelers coming to the airport will enter from the train station through bright, white vaulted rooms with translucent ceilings that let in natural light. A new plaza directly above the station will connect to the main arrivals area and have dramatic views of the Rocky Mountains to the west.
Via Denver Post and WAN
Photo credits: ©Santiago Calatrava and ©RJ Sangosti/ The Denver Post
