Redevelopment and Expansion Revitalizes the Passenger Experience

Located on the western edge of the City of Kingston, the Kingston Airport, also known as the Norman Rogers Airport — 60 feet above Lake Ontario’s shoreline and surrounded by water on three sides — offers one of the finest approaches in the region.

The opportunity to reconnect the building with the landscape presented itself when the existing airport was in need of redevelopment and expansion. The design of the addition reengages the sloping landscape to the south while strengthening access to views of the tarmac and deplaning area to the north. The Passenger Pavilion (facing the lake) and the Visitor Veranda (facing the tarmac) reconnect the passenger experience to the site through expansive and flexible spaces that foster welcoming and engaging views of nature and air-side activities. The Arrivals Hall is designed to expedite passenger and baggage transfer with options for internal separation for future international screening. 

The existing terminal building is expanded through the creation of primary wall elements that define public and service areas. The walls use local Kingston limestone to emulate the vertical stone rock cuts found in the gateway roads serving the region, as well as the limestone slabs along the shoreline that welcome boaters to the area.

The reorganization of key areas in the building allows for intuitive and fluid movement throughout the required areas. The primary walls go beyond just creating a tectonic structure that organize daily operations — they also act as guides for the lateral expansion of the airport in the future, minimizing disruption and eliminating costly tarmac modifications as the facility grows.

The new Visitor Veranda creates a more intimate scale upon arrival and departure. Upper and lower canopies are supported by delicate steel supports, complemented by a locally sourced wood soffit that extends through to the interior. The Passenger Pavilion is a modest beacon in the landscape that is carefully scaled to fit the region while balancing aspirations to re-brand the visitor experience.