London-based architectural practice The Design Solution (TDS) has been appointed by Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario Del Pacífico (GAP) to design the radical redevelopment of terminal space at Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Guadalajara International Airport, Mexico.
Marking the design company’s first airport terminal design project in Mexico, TDS will address the challenges faced at Guadalajara airport by the sudden growth in traffic, which reached 12.8 million in 2017.
The airport is undergoing a phased expansion and refurbishment program reflecting the double-digit growth delivered since 2015, with further strong traffic growth forecast for the next few years.
In the most recent phase of the development the pressure on the gates was relieved through a pier expansion project, including a new bussing gate lounge, and GAP is now focusing on the main commercial area of the terminal.
Robbie Gill, managing director, GAP, said, “The area between the international gates and the expanded pier is where passengers arrive at the departures level from the two security areas before entering a complex pattern of flows through shops, bars, restaurants and airline lounges.
“This area of the terminal has been expanded over many years through numerous projects, resulting in a less than optimum layout with some areas being frantically busy and others relatively quiet.
“Our challenge, supported by Pragma Consulting, is to reconfigure the five different zones and consolidate them into a cohesive commercial area where the vast majority of shops bars and restaurants are visible to all departing passengers and optimize the commercial effectiveness of the space.”
The Guadalajara project comes two months after GAP appointed TDS to carry out a commercial planning exercise for Los Cabos Airport, on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, with the design stages about to commence.
Raul Revuelta, CEO, GAP, said, “GAP is dedicated to being the leading provider of airport services and products in Mexico. We are strongly committed to raising the quality of the passenger experience at Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Guadalajara International Airport and, having been impressed by TDS’s approach at another of our airports (Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay, Jamaica), we are delighted to have their input into our development at Guadalajara International Airport.”
