It’s Souvenir Sunday, the day we take a look at some of fun, inexpensive items you can find when you’re stuck at the airport.
This week: cute – really cute – Hello Kitty trinkets from San Francisco International Airport:
If you spend your time poking around the shops when you’re stuck at the airport, please keep an eye out for items that are fun, inexpensive (around $10 or less) and a bit offbeat. Snap a photo, send it along and if it’s featured here on StuckatTheAirport.com, I’ll send you a special airport-related souvenir.
Here’s one more look at some of the art in the newly renovated Terminal 2 at San Francisco International Airport.
The terminal, which will serve American Airlines and Virgin America passengers, opens to the flying public on Thursday, April 14th. Among the artwork travelers will see are some treasures that have been in storage for years.
Kate Patterson of San Francisco Arts Commission says one of the highlights is a series of three tapestries by Mark Adams.
“Woven in the traditional Aubusson style, these tapestries represent various gardens that the artist remembers from his years living in San Francisco. Irises, hydrangeas, chrysanthemums and wild dahlias rendered in rich, deep shades now greet passengers as they make their way towards the baggage claim area.”
Patterson says the works that were put away during the T2 renovation include pieces by some key figures in the Bay Area’s Abstract Expressionist and Bay Area Funk movements, including Roy De Forest, Lee Mullican, Hassel Smith, Sam Tchakalian, Joan Brown, Wally Hedrick and Arnaldo Pomodoro.
“As a collection, these artworks provide a window to San Francisco’s vibrant art scene in the early 1960s through the mid-1980s.”
Curious to know more about the new and ‘old’ artwork in SFO’s T2?
Earprint Productions has made a cell phone art tour for T2. (650.353.4331)
That audio will soon be available as a podcast.
For more about the art and amenities in SFO’s renovated T2 see these previous posts:
A new Virgin America A320 with White Knight 2 carrying Spaceship 2
StuckatTheAirport.com readers have gotten a sneak peek of many of the features of T2 over the past two weeks (see here and here and here) but the completed facility was officially shown off today to dignitaries and media folks.
Passengers flying on American Airlines and Virgin America will be the only ones who get to enjoy the new terminal, but in addition to the art, amenities and services described here earlier (see the links above), here are a few more photos of what’s inside.
Many works of art that were in the original Terminal 2 have been reinstalled, including this piece from 1983 by Dan Snyder:
Welcome North, Welcome South, Welcome East, Welcome West
(Photo by Bruce Damonte, courtesy San Francisco Arts Commission)
The terminal has a ‘recompose’ area just past the security checkpoint:
Restrooms with Ann Sacks tiles, Dyson hand dryers and, space to put down your stuff.
Plenty of “Egg” chairs and other comfortable seating areas, work spaces, free Wi-Fi and (yes they counted them) 341 duplex outlets in the main hold room at at the communal tables:
There are also outlets on each column in the terminal and on some of the walls.
An audio tour of T2 has been commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission and will be available shortly.
San Francisco International Airport will re-open its newly renovated Terminal 2 to the flying public on April 14, but first there will be a media day (April 6th) and a community open house (April 9th.)
For those who can’t attend the open house or who won’t be flying to or from San Francisco on American Airlines or Virgin America – the two airlines that will be using T2 – anytime soon, StuckatTheAirport.com has been offering previews of the terminal.
That artwork includes a fun piece by Charles Sowers that includes mechanical butterflies.
Elsewhere in the terminal, sound artist Walter Kitundu has installed interactive benches that double as musical instruments.
The wings in one of the birds in Kitundu’s mural can also be played.
Part two of our SFO T2 preview focused on some of the special touches, such as live plants, living-room style furniture, work areas, generous restrooms and those handy water bottle refill stations.
There’s more…
The dining options – which were still under construction when I toured the building – will include: Andale – made-to-order Mexican food
Burger Joint
A restaurant/lounge by Cat Cora, one of the Food Network’s Iron Chef judges
Lark Creek Grill
Napa Farms Market
Vino Volo
Peets Coffee & Tea and Starbucks
Wakaba Sushi & Noodle
and The Plant Organic and Pinkberry frozen yogurt
Shops will include:
Compass Books
Greetings from San Francisco
I-Tech X-perience
Kiehl’s (skin and hair products)
Mango (clothing)
Mosaic Gallery
Natalie’s Candy Jar
Pacific Outfitters
Sunset News
and a branch of XpresSpa
Here a few more photos of what you’ll see in T2:
Artwork that was been stored away during renovation:
Every Sunday here at StuckatTheAirport.com is Souvenir Sunday: a day to unpack our carry-on and take a look at some of the fun, inexpensive goodies you can find for sale at airports.
This week’s souvenirs come from San Francisco International Airport, which is getting to ready to open the new and very much improved Terminal 2 to the flying public. They will be a grand opening celebration for T2 on April 9th (anyone can go, but you’ll need to sign up for a free ticket). Virgin America and American Airlines begin using the terminal for regular flights on April 14th.
When I visited the new T2, the shops were not yet open, so I wandered over to the SFO International Terminal to see what I could find. Sadly, the Sephora store is gone, but Freshen Up! is still there.
Located right next door to the Airport Travel Agency (on the Departures/Ticketing Level of the International Terminal, near the entrance to Gates G91-G102) and open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., this no-frills spot offers shower rooms, massage chairs, a place to iron your clothes and a wide variety of travel-sized items at surprisingly reasonable prices.
In addition to things like toothpaste, diapers, shaving cream and other sundries they also stock underwear, socks, shirts, pantyhose and other items travelers might find useful when they’re stuck at the airport on a long layover or while waiting for that delayed flight.
A 20 minute shower at Freshen Up! will cost you $11. A 30-minute “deluxe” shower is $15 and includes shampoo, lotion, shower shoes a towel and nice soap. Store your bags at the travel agency next door and they’ll give you a coupon good for an upgrade from the standard to the deluxe shower.
Now that you’re clean – go shopping!
And if you see a great airport souvenir that’s inexpensive, ‘of’ the city or region and, ideally, a bit offbeat, please snap a photo and send it along. If your souvenir is featured on Souvenir Sunday, I’ll send you a special travel souvenir.
