A 17-gate terminal, expanded parking facilities, a utility plant, and railway infrastructure—San Antonio’s updated airport has a lot in store for the future.
A little over a year ago, San Antonio residents got a preview of the planned new airport terminal, and just two months ago, officials broke ground on the project. Now, global architecture firm Corgan and Texas-based Lake|Flato — hired by the city in 2022 through a $3.8 billion contract — are collaborating to complete the project by 2028.
“San Antonio’s new airport terminal is a transformational moment for our city,” said Lake|Flato partner Joe Benjamin. “The design team’s goal was to create an inspired first impression for visitors that embodies the rich character of San Antonio. A River Walk-inspired landscape will greet arriving passengers, providing a welcoming front door that is authentic to San Antonio’s unique culture, context, and community.”
The new 74,322 square metres terminal will be larger than the current Terminals A and B combined. It will be built on what is now a parking area and will be connected to Terminal B as part of a $1.68 billion development.
Keeping that budget in mind, the airport’s expansion is set to be the city’s largest capital project ever. The new terminal will feature a central processing area for ticketing and security, along with up to 17 gates, three of which will accommodate wide-body aircraft.
The overall project has been designed to prioritise space and comfort for travellers, with expanded departure and arrival lanes, larger waiting areas, a courtyard, and club lounges. The federal inspection station for international travellers, currently located inside Terminal A, will be relocated to the new terminal, doubling in size. Additional parking facilities, a utility plant, and railway infrastructure will also be introduced to support the expansion.
With experience in over 200 airports, including Los Angeles (LAX), LaGuardia, and John F. Kennedy, Corgan has established itself as a leader in aviation architecture. Meanwhile, Lake|Flato — primarily known for its civic and environmental design projects — has only designed one small airport in Florida, but the firm is eager to embrace the challenge.
“There’s the functionality of the airport and the complexity of what it takes — fueling loops and baggage systems and all of those things,” said Joe Benjamin. “But ultimately it’s a building for people, and how do you create great spaces … that people want to be in?”
A new vision for San Antonio’s airport
Unlike the existing airport structures, the new expansion will introduce a fresh architectural approach. A paseo, a 60-foot offset between the departure and arrival lanes, will guide passengers inside, while a semi-translucent cladded façade will enhance the terminal’s aesthetic appeal. The surrounding landscaped outdoor spaces aim to reflect San Antonio’s natural environment, creating a seamless transition between the terminal and the city’s broader landscape. Inside the terminal, materials such as limestone, wood, and muted earth tones will establish a warm and inviting atmosphere.
“We really went a different direction with the new terminal, and that is a very strong focus on the regionalism and the San Antonio sense of place,” said John Trupiano, principal at Corgan, in an interview with the San Antonio Report. “We sometimes get caught up in thinking that this terminal just serves San Antonio when it really has a much larger catchment area and provides competition as you go north.”
“The color palettes and materials in there all draw on some of the neutral colors that we pick up from the Hill Country landscapes,” Trupiano continued. “We bring in some of the colors of the creeks and the streams, but then those will get punctuated by those more vibrant colors that make up the kind of that cultural fabric of San Antonio.”
Once travellers leave the security checkpoint behind, they will enter the so-called Mercado or concession plaza, where an an outdoor terrace will serve as one of the main highlights of the new design. As construction progresses, San Antonio International Airport’s transformation is expected to reshape the travel experience in Texas, offering a more modern, spacious, and welcoming gateway to the Lone Star State.
