Atlanta Airport Exterior

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by kasuga888

Of the large airports, Atlanta's airport must be one the ugliest and dullest. There is no sense of grandeur even in the international terminal (considering it was built recently, its not very impressive). However, i guess the layout is a very effective design for moving tons of people.

When I'm flying, I just want to get to the gate quickly and back home quickly. I don't care so much about the aesthetics of the airport regardless of the location.

[OneTrickNet]

Echoing everyone else's comments. I think maybe just some new exterior architectural additions around the dropoff/pickup areas could help pretty it up but no need for a major structural overhaul. I'd rather get rid of the smoking rooms. Barf. Or slap a new coat of paint on the terminal walls.

[OneTrickNet]

On second thought, the underground/plane train concourse connector walkway could use some help... I rather not walk through a cave.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by OneTrickNet

On second thought, the underground/plane train concourse connector walkway could use some help... I rather not walk through a cave.

What would you recommend it be?! It's an UNDERGROUND TUNNEL for crying out loud! There are airplanes taxiing back and forth above you. It is what it is.

Some people will find anything to complain about ...

[cqholt]

I rather not walk through a cave.

Then take the Plane Train, arrivals every 2-5 minutes.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Then take the Plane Train, arrivals every 2-5 minutes.

As a frequent ATL user. I will vouch for the plane train. It is always faster. Even going one concourse over. I walk sometimes, but only if I am not in a hurry.

[HayateWind]

I've beaten the Plane Train once, but that was by taking off running at full speed to the next station when the train was just closing it's doors. It's a slow ride, but it's often much faster than walking, unless you're a good rinnder.

I think that it's not so much the exterior of the terminal, but how the interior interacts with the exterior that makes a major difference. I feel like by just allowing more light into the terminals and making it more airy and such would solve some of the issues that a lot of people have with it. The exterior is dated, but it's no better than the exterior of other terminals built around the dame time. No use comparing the entire terminal to buildings like the new IND, McNamara at DTW, T4 at JFK, and the like.

[MathmanMathman]

Architecturally, the ATL is completely blah. Nothing to look at, at all. Inside and out, totally utilitarian. The new terminal was an ok effort at making it look better but at this point it's like putting lipstick on a pig.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by OneTrickNet

Echoing everyone else's comments. I think maybe just some new exterior architectural additions around the dropoff/pickup areas could help pretty it up but no need for a major structural overhaul. I'd rather get rid of the smoking rooms. Barf. Or slap a new coat of paint on the terminal walls.

Yeah. I wouldn't mind seeing a fresh coat of paint, but really, there are bigger fish to fry than redoing the entire exterior.

[testa50]

More skylighting really would help the interior and could save energy. But I agree with the general sentiment here: there's really no need to have a fantastic-looking airport. We've got over 200 gates, and you can generally get from any one gate to any other gate in about 15 minutes. Can any other airport in the world say the same?

This is the sort of area where ATL excels, instead of aesthetics:

Atlanta airport best for amenities, business travel in US | Reuters

We've got a beastly flight network and schedule that only a handful of other airports in the world could accommodate.

I would like to see yet more emphasis put on the traveler experience for people on long layovers. The only problem is that there's basically zero space for expansion. Unlike some airports, Atlanta's concourse footprint is absurdly lean and basically makes use of every inch of space. So it's tough to expand.