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96 | J UNE 2015 Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport Expansion (YXE) PHOTOGRAPHY BY KAREE DAVIDSON/COURTESY PCL CONSTRUCTION MGMT. INC. by IRWIN RAPOPORT Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport Expansion (YXE) T he expansion of the Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport – a $53-million, 130,000-square- foot air terminal building – is a case where innovative and smart archi- tecture not only resulted in a build- ing that fulfills all of its functions, but translates design into the Saskatoon/ Saskatchewan experience. As part of the latest phase of the expansion, the existing rectangular build- ing is being converted to a pier-based one, with aircraft parked on both sides and the pier providing additional loading bridges to accommodate more aircraft. The key element of the project had the Saskatoon Airport Authority cre- ate an entirely new post-security area complete with waiting gates, bridges to access planes, security screening points, retail space and food and bever- age services. "We doubled the size of the build- ing," says Lory Sproxton, manager, air- port development, Saskatoon Airport Authority. "When we took over opera- tion of the airport from Transport Canada in 1999, we had slightly over 800,000 passengers per annum and in 2014 we had almost 1.5 million. Architecturally we were trying to accent what we have – the land of the living sky, so lots of daylight, open views from the terminal and an opportunity to watch our wonderful sunsets." Sproxton adds that all the gates and bridges have wide expansive viewing areas. "The entire exterior of the termi- nal, a curved horn shape, is almost com- pletely glass. The predominant colour of the interior is grey with charcoal varia- tions, along with wood walnut wood features. We also have terrazzo flooring on the second storey and ceramic tiles on the main floor. This very much reflects the colours and feel of the prairies." The expansion will also see the addi- tion of a variety of food, beverage and retail services, including Tim Hortons, Starbucks, a Relay store with duty-free shopping and a Metalsmiths boutique. Kindrachuk Agrey Architecture, which designed the expansion of the airport 12 years ago, was the architect for the new terminal. Derek Kindrachuk, principle architect, began work on the design in 2007 and submitted the final design in 2010. "This is an ambassador building – it's the first building people see when they come to visit Saskatoon by air and the last they experience when they leave, so it has a significant role to play – it has to represent Saskatoon and Saskatchewan," he says. Kindrachuk goes on to explain that the design focusses on transparency, bringing in daylight and allowing views of the horizon. "Airport terminals also have a sense of intrigue and when you see the scale of those planes parked close to the glazing, you feel that expe- rience. We also kept it simple. Airports can be stressful environments for some people. The goal was to relieve some of the stress and make wayfinding a natu- ral intuitive process as opposed to con- trol by visual clutter," he says. The use of natural materials and finishes were crucial to creating that natural f low of the interior common areas. Subtlety was a key aspect of the design, with daylight creating that sense of calmness and comfort. The design also incorporates a num- ber of sustainable and LEED elements. "It is part of our mandate, whether it is woven in through mechanical systems, HVAC and energy savings devices," says Kindrachuk. "Bringing daylight into occupied spaces is a major LEED com- ponent and we did that. The restaurant on the second floor, Refuel, has three large skylights that flood the area and is very popular as you can see everything in front of you – the concourse, tarmac and the planes." A circular concourse pivot was added to the design that allows planes to rotate. "By using a horn shape, you create a lot of perimeter area that the planes require and more surface area to accommodate more planes," says Kindrachuk. Employing the theme of aviation as an inspiration to scale the concourse space, a clerestory runs along its spine and rises as it reaches the end. "It's like a jet stream that leads to a ceiling feature all the way to the end pod where the gates are clustered. A seamless white

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