Mineta San Jose International Airport

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Gensler, the global architecture, design, and planning firm, today celebrates the opening of the first six gates of the Terminal B Concourse at Mineta San Jose International Airport. With a bold architectural design that expresses the innovative spirit of the Silicon Valley region, the 380,000-square-foot, $342 million concourse is the first element of the airport’s extensive $1.3 billion modernization program, and will ultimately integrate with the new Terminal B opening summer 2010.
Gensler, in collaboration with Steinberg Architects, served as master design architect for the airport, and created a striking design that evokes the high-tech landscape of the Silicon Valley while celebrating the area’s sunny climate and agrarian roots. Inside, the concourse has the feel of a sunlit paseo, with a dramatic curved translucent roof featuring fabric panels to filter the direct sunlight and absorb sound. On the exterior, the long and cable-like outer layer expresses the area’s technological design heritage while shading the inner core of the building.
“In the Terminal B Concourse, we wanted to express the region’s leadership in technology and innovation, and also establish a signature identity for the airport and the city of San Jose,” said Steve Weindel, a principal at Gensler and project designer. “The indoor-outdoor architecture captures the San Jose lifestyle, and will give travelers a tangible sense of the region, even while they’re inside the airport.”
Floor-to-ceiling windows illuminate the concourse with natural light. Flight gates are located close to shopping areas so travelers won’t feel rushed and can enjoy locally prepared foods at a variety of eateries. At 1,600 feet long and 90 feet wide, the building is 380,000 square feet, with 29,000 square feet of space reserved for retail and concession areas and 10 gates. The initial gates will serve Southwest Airlines. There will be 12 gates total when Terminal B and the concourse are fully integrated by next summer.
Gensler is committed to energy-efficient, sustainable architecture, and the Terminal B Concourse is designed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certifi cation standards. It boasts many sustainable design features, including aggressive daylight harvesting and an efficient displacement ventilation system. San Jose has more than 325 days of sunshine a year, so the outer layer of the exterior acts as a shading device, protecting the inner core of the building and helping it perform more efficiently.

The concourse design team includes Gensler and Steinberg Architects, master architects;
Clark Construction, general contractor; Magnusson Klemencic Associates, structural
engineer; Flack & Kurtz and Alpha Tech, MEP; URS, civil engineer; and Gilbane Building
Company, construction management.