open access

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/74426

Airport terminals examined with respect to universal design

日本語

2007-03-30

Graduate school of international media and communication, institute of language and culture studies, Hokkaido university

Media, language and culture

52

101-122

Today air travel is for everybody, and airport terminal design has become inextricably interwoven with economics, tourism, politics, diplomacy, demography, and environment. Nevertheless, passengers of all ages and physical abilities experience a terminal building as a sequential process from arrival at the terminal, through ticketing, security check, passport control, and then proceeding to the gate and finally onto airplane. Passengers, hence, have to move spatially and temporally through the building. Airport terminals, therefore, should be designed in such a way that all passengers can go through this as quickly, comfortably, and independently as possible. This article examines, first, how to achieve user-friendly design of a terminal building by introducing three Universal Design paradigms for air terminals: Hong Kong Interna­tional Airport (Chek Lap Kok), Munich International Airport (Terminal 1 & 2), and Kansai International Airport. These three examples demonstrate how to reduce the walking distance (horizontal movement) and the time required for boarding or transfer by integrat­ing the terminals with public transportation, and by thoughtfully distributing various functions to different levels. These terminals also demonstrate how to ease level changes (vertical movement) by effective use of ramps and elevators. We can also see from these buildings how openness and transparency of space as well as maximum use of natural light also help passengers' orientation. Secondly, this article stresses the importance of way-finding sign systems that not only lead passengers to their final destinations but also help passengers with limited physical abilities to move through the terminal building as independently as possible. In this regard, elevators as a device for level change and way-finding signs have to be planned together. References to the masterpiece of way-finding sign systems designed by Paul Mijksenaar for the Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, serve as a guide to several practical suggestions for the design and installation of such infographic signs. Lastly, Narita and Haneda Airports are examined with respect to Universal Design and several proposals are made for improvements of observed problems.

学術雑誌論文

Version of Record

AA11546409