Celebrating Arrival at the Airport

Throughout the 20th century airports served as civic icons for the dreams, aspirations, and the identities of their cities. Even for terminals that inherently represented the fanciful nature of flight (JFK's TWA Terminal, pictured above, and Washington Dulles are great examples), the segment of the journey that was always emphasized was the departure sequence. This created a magical experience for those passengers embarking upon a journey or for visitors ending their holiday. Yet for an airport that looks to announce its city as a desirable destination, isn't that backwards? Shouldn't the arrivals sequence be the moment where an airport welcomes guests to a city with a grand architectural gesture, or at least with daylight and a view?

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