San Diego International Airport’s existing Terminal 1, built in 1967, closes on Tuesday, September 23, and the swanky new light-and-art-filled $3.8 billion Terminal 1 officially opens.

(A few flights will arrive at new T1 on the evening of September 22).

Designed by the Gensler architecture firm in partnership with Turner-Flatiron, the new terminal boasts five impressive commissioned art pieces – including Matthew Mazzotta’s jellyfish-inspired Rise, up above -, an outdoor patio with views of San Diego Bay and downtown, 13 security lanes, 7 bag claim carousels, and more.

We had a chance to tour the terminal as finishing touches were being put in place. Here are a few snaps from our tour.

Views galore

The terminal was designed to be “open and inviting – a glassy pavilion in a garden,” said Gensler’s Terence Young, Principal, Design Director and Project Designer. Passengers can see out to the airfield from plenty of spots along the concourse, but the coziest seating is likely the area behind the center information bank.

Cool concessions

New Terminal 1 at San Diego International Airport opens with 5 specialty stores and a dozen food and beverage outlets.

Beautiful bathrooms

We already made SAN’s new Terminal 1 restrooms our Airport Amenity of the Week.

Not just because they’re lovely, but because each sink has three fixtures.

One dispenses soap.

One dispenses water.

And the third is a personal hand dryer.

So no need to drip your way across a counter to find a paper towel.

Did we mention all the art at SAN’s new T1?

We did. But here are a few more snaps.

Vessel of Light, by Erwin Redl, in the dining hall, is made of triangles that respond to music from the stage beneath it, and to ambient noise

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Amy Ellington’s A Day in the Sun includes six mosaic-covered columns in the recomposure area just past the security checkpoint.

More than a million hand-set glass tiles create patterns that are inspired by the transition from sunrise to sunset along the Pacific shoreline.

Be sure to look on the floor around each column; there are tiles set into the terrazzo too.

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