Airport design

Museum Monday: Airport Trading Cards

Airport design, ,

The collectibles department at Stuck at The Airport was thrilled to receive a package this week from our friends at Airport Council International-North America.

Inside was an almost complete set of the colorful collectible trading cards airports around the country have been issuing every few years since 2014. The number of participating airports has grown over the years and, at last count, there were more than 90 airports with their own trading cards.

Even better, some airports have issued multiple versions of their trading cards over several years.

The front of each card portrays an image of an airport and the airport code. On the reverse of each card are factoids about the airport pictured.

Want your own set of airport trading cards?

Our set is going into the Stuck at The Airport museum archives. But you can start putting your set together by stopping at an information booth in any airport you visit. Participating airports with a stash of current cards distribute them out for free. Some airports also have trading cards for their therapy dogs too. So be sure to ask.

It’s been a while since a new batch has been issued. But we think a fresh new round of collectible airport trading cards would be a great way to celebrate what feels like a very robust return to travel.

Which cards do you have? Please share your tips on how you got them.

JFK loo a finalist in America’s Best Restroom contest

Airport design, ,

The finalists for the 2021 America’s Best Restroom contest. are out and we’re pleased to see a restroom in an airport on the list. That doesn’t happen very often.

Which airport makes the list this year?

JFK Airport’s Terminal 4, operated by JFKIAT, gets the nod.

The lavs on the list are located on the east side of the Customs Arrival Hall and are designed by Woods Bagot.

In the nomination write-up, the lavs are described as being easy to find, easy to clean, and very spacious at 900 square feet.

Framing the restroom entrance is a teal back-painted glass with graphics of iconic New York City landmarks. Mirroring the hue of the entrance, a teal penny tile feature wall draws users into the space. Inside, bright white terrazzo flooring, marbleized walls, and delicate wall sconces combine for a look and feel of understated elegance. Calcutta porcelain tile lines the women’s vanity area, and a thoughtful raised shelf behind the sink provides the perfect spot to freshen up after a long flight. Full height wood laminate partitions provide privacy and a touch of warmth to an otherwise clean, bright space.

Another restroom on the list of finalists is a portable toilet in Santa Rosa, CA inspired by tiny home cottages. This roadside rest stop contains a roomy restroom with vessel sinks, touchless faucets, air conditioning, heat, ambient music, adjustable color & dimmable lighting, countertop decor, and a hospitality tray with hand towels & other toiletries.

Also on the list is a word-filled restroom at Planet Word, a museum in Washington, D.C. devoted to words, language, and reading,

The contest celebrates innovative and hygienic public restrooms across the country and invites the public to vote for their favorite flusher. See the full list of 10 finalists and cast a vote before August 20. .

Old & new at TPA and DCA Airports + Places We’ll Go

Airport design, History, , , , , ,

Welcome to Stuck at The Airport.

Today we take a look back at some sweet photos from 50 years at Tampa International Airport (TPA). We get a look at some snaps from the new 14-gate concourse at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). And we put some new items on our “Places To Go” list – as soon as we’re allowed.

TPA celebrates 50 years

Tampa International Airport’s Main Terminal complex turned 50 years old on April 15. As part of the celebration, the airport put together this sweet video with great vintage images.  

Reagan National Airport debuts new concourse

There’s a new 14 gate, 225,000-square-foot concourse at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). 

Gates 46-59 will serve flights for American Airlines’ regional operations at DCA and give travelers amenity-filled waiting areas and direct, enclosed access to aircraft via jetbridges. This is a major upgrade from the previous set-up which involved shuttle buses out to the dreaded Gate 35X.

The new concourse has a panaramic views of the Washington, D.C. skyline, a variety of seating options with power plugs nearby, 14,000 square feet of concession space, four public restrooms, four moving walkways, two mother’s care rooms, an indoor pet relief area, and a new baggage handling system.

Here are some more photos shared by Reagan National Airport.

Places We’ll Go

Once we get the all-clear, we’re going to go. Everywhere.

Here are some places we’re putting on the list.

Celebrating James Brown in Augusta, GA

If soul legend James Brown was still with us, he’d turn 88 on May 3. His hometown of Augusta, GA will be the place to celebrate, with a citywide walking tour and an outdoor birthday block party.

Dollywood Flower & Food Festival

The Dollywood theme park in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee looks like fun. Especially if we could get there between April 23 and June 7 when more than half a million flowers will be blooming for the “Flower & Food Festival.”

Poetry in Miami

The O, Miami Poetry Festival is underway through the month of April, with the goal of having people encounter, enjoy, and engage with poems in unlikely places. One of the projects, Poetry About Town, consists of “call-up” poems about two streets in Miami Dade County.

Why we want to fly to Auckland Int’l Airport

Airport design, ,

We’re (finally) getting serious about planning plane trips and visiting airports.

And one airport on our “to do” list for when borders reopen is Auckland International Airport (AKL) in New Zealand.

Especially now that we know about an award-winning landscape project by the San Francisco-based landscape architecture and urban planning firm Surfacedesign.

The six-square-mile design will progress in phases through 2024. And, according to Surfacedesign, it is influenced by New Zealand’s centuries-old agrarian traditions, from its indigenous Maori settlers and European immigrants in the 1800s.

contact info: blake marvin | blakemarvin@gmail.com


The design incorporates large geometric patterns inspired by sacred Maori stone fields; which are mounded-rock terraces that provided protection against weather and intruders. Other influences come from herringbone hedgerows planted by New Zealand’s European immigrants. There are also abstract shapes referencing Auckland’s natural volcanic and coastal topography. And “V” patterns found in bird flight, which are also significant in Maori culture.

The overall plan also connects existing greenspaces and creates nearby recreational opportunities—including a mountain bike park and 45 acres of new open space.

Sounds intriguing, right? Our favorite part: the pinball flippers!
             

All photos by Blake Marvin.