Project Overview
San Diego International Airport has struggled with growing congestion challenges as the number of passengers it serves increases. As part of a long-range plan to mitigate some of these traffic issues, the airport commissioned a 2 million ft2 rental car center to bring passengers closer to transportation nodes.
The designers of the new facility, chose a unique precast concrete façade, with sharp angles and clever use of light in a modern and sophisticated style.
Precast Solution
From the beginning, the architect and precaster were challenged with delivering a building façade for the enormous structure that was acceptable to the adjacent neighborhood. In response, they came up with a “sculptural” look that break up the ¼-mile-long structure with open spaces and a play of light against shadow in the façade design.
The project consisted of nearly 1150 distinct pieces, with 9 ft-tall spandrel panels featuring a triangular cross section. Most of the spandrels also received grey crash-wall panels that were plant-assembled. The panels have a cross section similar to those on the main building, however, helix spandrels have a triangular section that follows the radius with a “twist” built into the profile in order to follow the ramp as it climbs from floor to floor.
The design also featured 80 infill-column cover panels with a diamond shape that were attached top and bottom to the adjacent spandrel panels to add further interest to the design. The engineering team had to create a motorized flying jib, dubbed “The Bumble Bee,” to hoist and fit the shaped infill wall panels into place between spandrels already installed above and below.
The resulting design provides a three-dimensional appearance that reflects natural and artificial lighting, which minimizes the scale of the building, and provides an attractive design for residents and passengers alike. |