New terminal ready to accommodate passengers for Osaka World Expo

The final phase of the refurbished Kansai International Airport (KIX) Terminal 1 designed by Tenderstream member Populous has opened to accommodate the millions of passengers expected to pass through the iconic building to attend World Expo in Osaka. Originally designed by Renzo Piano, the airport is considered an architectural icon, famous for its asymmetrical clear-span sweeping aerofoil roofline. Kansai Airports and Populous have been working for more than seven years to completely reimagine the airport’s floor plan. The design for its transformation has already been recognised for its architectural vision, as a finalist in the 2023 World Architecture Festival Awards.

The project has been competed in four phases to allow for continued operations at the airport, which is expected to accommodate more than 40 million passengers a year from 2025 and almost double international capacity. The new Terminal 1 includes a 60% increase in the size of the international departure lounge and retail offerings, the introduction of innovative retail layouts based on passenger experiences and the creation of a seamless processing experience. Phase 3 provides improved security inspection, with additional smart lanes capable of processing between 4,500 and 6,000 passengers per hour – the first queuing management system of its kind in Japan.  A new commercial area includes stores across international departures, international arrivals and a street food court. 

Jack Kato, principal design manager, explained how Populous approached the challenge to respect the old while embracing new opportunities, stating: “We broke away from the former grey colour scheme, reinvigorating the interior spaces with a palette of natural materials to give the terminal a distinctly Japanese feel, but at the same time we opened up areas like the relocated immigration hall to provide an open space, reflecting the original architecture and offering an inspiring arrival experience to start each journey. This will transform the arrival experience of each journey into something inspirational.”

Lucy Nordberg

Tenderstream Head of Research

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