At its beginning, air travel was imbued with a feeling of luxury — an idea best expressed in the light and lyrical design of Eero Saarinen’s TWA terminal from 1962. The wing-shaped building promised effortless flight, and while it has suffered from periods of neglect, it’s soon to be put back to use by JetBlue. Still, its temporary abandonment is a reminder of how much the industry — and specifically, the airport experience — has changed in the last half-century. Where, oh where, has all the fun gone? The new Terminal 2 at San Francisco International Airport is ready to show you.
After a $383 million renovation, T2 has been unveiled as pleasure palace for modern travelers. It has a number of swanky features — like pricey Egg chairs designed by Fritz Hansen, ubiquitous wi-fi and charging stations, and large-scale works of contemporary art. Equally, if not more, impressive is its state-of-the-art approach to sustainability, for which it has earned LEED™ Gold certification — the first airport in the U.S. to do so.
The building’s green features are too many to list here, but some examples include paperless ticketing, preferential hybrid/electric car parking, and energy-efficient lighting, air ventilation, and water systems. Then there are the “hydration oases,” where you can fill up that water bottle that you remembered to bring from home. And lest we forget we’re in San Francisco, there’s also the food — good, real food.
Napa Farms Market puts a locavore spin on the traditional food court. You can find cheeses from Cowgirl Creamery, oysters from Hog Island, and baguettes by Rustic Bakery. Yes, pretty much the best of the Ferry Building has made its way in, and not by coincidence; it was designed by the same people. If you’re looking for more of sit-down experience, you have options like Lark Creek Grill, Burger Joint, and Cat Cora, just to name a few.
Who thought the day would ever come again when an airport made you feel like staying a while? Somewhere, Saarinen is smiling.
Headed to San Francisco and looking to stay green? Hotel Vitale and Hotel Drisco were recently certified by the city’s Green Business Program .
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