Arup and SOM Collaborate to Complete Phase 1 of the Expansion of Terminal 4 at JFK Airport for Delta Air Lines

NEW YORK, May 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The joint venture between Arup and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, known as ArupSOM, announced today the completion of its work expanding Terminal 4 for Delta Air Lines at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City. The new $1.2 billion terminal complex consolidates Delta's operations at JFK, allowing the airline to move out of aging facilities in Terminal 3 and improve the passenger experience for the estimated 11 million Delta passengers who will pass through every year.

ArupSOM was the designer of the original Terminal 4 building, which opened in 2001. This latest project includes the expansion of Terminal 4's Concourse B and the addition of new security facilities. The redevelopment also features expanded shopping areas, the new 24,000-square-foot Delta Sky Club, and new domestic baggage claim facilities to speed the transfer of passengers from international to domestic flights. SOM, which has a long and productive history of work at JFK starting with the 1958 completion of the International Arrivals Building, was the lead planner and architect of the project, while Arup acted as the building and civil engineer.

This newest expansion continues to fulfill the original master plan for the terminal by strengthening support of operations within the context of the terminal's central column-free space, with its plentiful views and natural light.  

The airside expansion, a nine-gate extension in Concourse B, provides necessary additional facilities for Delta's fleet and helps realize Delta's goal to build an international hub at JFK. Dual taxiways also help reduce aircraft taxi times and provide more efficient service. At landside, a new security area in the main departure hall reorganized the sequence of travel, allowing passengers to take advantage of the retail hall after clearance. A new domestic baggage claim hall, part of the original master plan, has been added, as well as larger areas for Customs and Border Protection.

This expansion project replaces the 50-year-old Terminal 3, increases the size of the original Terminal 4 by nearly one third to 1.94 million square feet, and gives Delta the ability to accommodate all of their international flights from Terminal 4. It involves the extension and integration of existing services into one full-capacity facility, including: nine newly constructed passenger gates in addition to seven original, renovated gates; a new baggage system; and the consolidation of existing security checkpoints. Terminal 4 remained open and operational during the tightly choreographed phased construction process, which allowed team members to shift terminal functions from one area of the site to another in order to maintain a full flight schedule throughout the project.  

Arup, a multidisciplinary engineering and consulting firm with a reputation for delivering innovative and sustainable designs, provided a full slate of services on this project, including structural engineering, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineering; civil engineering; acoustics consulting; fire and life safety code consulting; geotechnical engineering; information technology and communications consulting; security consulting; integration management, and commissioning. Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP (SOM), a leading architecture, interior design, engineering and urban planning firm, was the lead planner and architect for the Terminal 4 expansion.

About Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) is one of the leading architecture, interior design, engineering, and urban-planning firms in the world, with a 75-year reputation for design excellence and a portfolio that includes some of the most important architectural accomplishments of the 20th and 21st centuries. Since its inception, SOM has been a leader in the research and development of specialized technologies, new processes and innovative ideas, many of which have had a palpable and lasting impact on the design profession and the physical environment. The firm's longstanding leadership in design and building technology has been honored with more than 1,700 awards for quality, innovation, and management. The American Institute of Architects has recognized SOM twice with its highest honor, the Architecture Firm Award—in 1962 and again in 1996. The firm maintains offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mumbai, and Abu Dhabi.

About Arup
Arup is the creative force at the heart of many of the world's most prominent projects in the built environment and across industry. Its engineers and consultants deliver innovative projects across the world. Arup opened its first US office 25 years ago, and now employs 1,000 in the Americas. The firm was founded in 1946 with an enduring set of values that fosters a distinctive culture, intellectual independence and collaborative approach. The people at Arup are driven to find a better way to deliver better solutions for their clients. (www.arup.com)

SOURCE Arup