The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) will officially open its newly renovated C Concourse to the public on Thursday, following years of planning and construction.
The grand opening comes just in time to welcome passengers in Seattle for the FIFA World Cup.
“We’re the 11th busiest airport in the country, and now we’re more than just a place where people come to begin their journey. We’re actually where people can feel the destination,” said SEA Airport Managing Director Wendy Reiter.
On Wednesday, KIRO 7 was invited to a media event for a grand reveal and preview of the space.
The massive project adds 145,000 square feet to the area, aiming to enhance the passenger experience with tons of new features and areas to explore.
The space features four floors, 11 restaurants, and retail spaces. A central seating area, called The Tree at C, is one of the main features. Matt Ducharme, a principal with Woods Bagot, explained the design’s intent for the communal space.
“We wanted to make that a communal moment. What I mean by that is that the tree actually comes down in the middle of this incredible stair, where people can hang out. They can eat, they can be with the community, they can see a performance,” Ducharme said.
The expansion also offers a sensory room, an interfaith prayer room, and an area to view the airplanes taking off.
The renovation also emphasizes sustainability throughout the building, including various art installations.
Rich Whealan, a principal with Miller Hull, said, “We’re an all-electric building, which is a big deal. No fossil fuels burned, even with all the tenant spaces.”
Janet Sheerer, a capital program leader for this project, said the expansion started after they realized the airport had a deficiency to address.
“We needed more dining and retail spaces, and we needed more amenities for the passengers. The folks here at the port that studied those things realized that this was the location where we could build,” she said. “We’re space-constrained, and this existing building was an opportunity to build up and add more square footage without having an impact on air operations or taking away gates. So that’s what we did.”
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