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COVER STORY 22 airportbusiness May 2015 By Ronnie L. Garrett Wichita's Terminal Takes Off W hen an airport resides in a city known as The Air Capital of the World, first and last impressions matter. So, when it came time to revamp Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, developers knew one thing for certain—whether they built a new facility or remodeled the existing one, the new terminal had to pay tribute to the area's aviation roots. Before the first shovel hit the ground, HNTB Corp. building architects spent months research- ing the city's history and developing ways to incorporate Wichita's aviation past into the new building's design. They studied a history that dates as far back as the 1920s and 1930s, when businessmen and aeronautical engineers opened a number of successful aircraft manufacturing companies, including Beechcraft, Cessna and Stearman Aircraft. Today, the state's largest city, which an estimated 387,000 people now call home, is known as The Air Capital of the World being home to Textron Aviation (Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker), Bombardier Learjet, Airbus and Spirit AeroSystems. Recently, the city unveiled a sparkling new, $200 million terminal where every inch of its 275,000 square feet reflects the region's avia- tion heritage, from its long swooping exterior that captures the motion of flight to its interior mix of stainless-steel and metal finishes resem- bling an aircraft down to the tiniest detail. Thin aluminum stripping adds an intricate design to the terrazzo floor evoking the feeling of an air- plane's contrails, while air vents are designed to look like jet engines, and the ceiling is shaped like the window or portal of a commercial jet. On the mezzanine level, seven displays by Image Resources serve to educate and inform travelers about aviation in Wichita. "The new terminal is truly is a reflection of Wichita's aviation prominence as The Air Capital of the World," says Victor White, direc- tor of airports for the City of Wichita Airport Authority. "It's our gateway to the world, and the world's portal to Kansas." When an airport resides in The Air Capital of the World, customer expectations soar. Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport opens a terminal befitting of the city's lofty title. The 360-foot long dichroic safety glass art piece arches over the airport mezzanine.