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FEBRUA RY 2017 | 45 Terminal 3 Enhancement Project – Toronto Pearson International Airport PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD JOHNSON/COURTESY STANTEC Terminal 3 Enhancement Project – Toronto Pearson International Airport by JESSICA KIRBY T he Terminal 3 enhancement at Toronto Pearson International Airport is a large scale, multi- phased construction project aimed at improving passenger experience and refreshing the building. The Terminal's construction in the early 90s partially defined the redevelopment's scope, as the upgraded facility is designed to meet a multitude of challenges from passenger processing to Canadian and U.S. governmental agencies' requirements. The project encompasses 78,471 square metres of redeveloped space; some key areas include the reactivation of Gates B1-B5, pre-board security screening expansion and addition of new screening locations. Also part of the scope is a completely redeveloped dining, shopping and passenger experience area in the domestic/international departures concourse, departures level terrazzo flooring upgrade, process redevelopment for Transborder (U.S.) departures and inbound baggage enhancements. The biggest challenge was doing major redevelopment work in the 24/7 environment of an operational airport, says Tony Crepinsek, associate director, infrastructure redevelopment, Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA). "Toronto Pearson has experienced rapid growth in the past several years and as passenger demand on the buildings and airport processes grow, figuring out the intricate puzzle of completing major work and keeping the terminal operating has been a priority," Crepinsek says. "To ensure smooth operation, we needed to maintain equivalent capacity for vital passenger functions like baggage services, check-in, security screening and customs processes." The project team created temporary facilities to make up for capacity lost to construction and prioritized work during off-peak times. Alternate passenger flows were developed to ensure efficient use of the remaining space and additional resources were dedicated to passenger wayfinding. Stantec completed architecture, structural, mechanical, electrical and interior design services on the project. The company's scope was a collaboration between its Toronto and Vancouver airport terminal design studios and encapsulated important key drivers set out by the GTAA, including passenger experience focused design and maximizing the reach of the facility's existing capital assets. Airport technology, processes, economics and operational models have changed significantly since Terminal 3 was constructed, says Shawn Lawrie, architect with Stantec's Toronto office. "Airports have had to accommodate new security processes and economically driven self-serve check-in processes, which take up floor space," he says. "You also have increased traffic so the challenge is looking for processes that increase throughput speed and at the same time, create a space that is visually delightful and takes passengers' mind off of the stress of travelling." The renovation was extensive, touching all facets of the terminal travel journey from check-in to gate. One key area was the main airside departures concourse for domestic and international passengers, located at the intersection of different piers. "Some of the moves we made were planning the space with a soft, curvilinear flow – no straight corridors – that are serpentine and relaxed and that reveal the space one step at a time," says Lawrie. "It is like the surprise of walking around a medieval street bend and discovering new vistas all the time." Janine Gervais, director, passenger services, GTAA, adds that in response to passenger needs, "we designed a passenger experience area that offers a comfortable place to read a book, have a coffee, charge your personal device or just sit and people watch." The passenger experience area is an informal space featuring a variety of seating including benches, soft seating, high-top tables and chairs in a welcoming colour palette. The area also incorporates elements such as wood side tables and tree light-fixtures. "The space is defined by a strong, large format plank ceiling made of white acoustic panels designed for architectural geometry and absorbing ambient noise for a quieter, comfortable space," says Lawrie. One of the most important architectural features is the Eye in the Sky – a large, two-storey atrium that brings views of the sky and daylight deep into the passenger space. "The Terminal's existing ceiling heights aren't as generous as contemporary terminals', so the strategy of the Eye in Sky is to create double-height volume for a grander, more significant public area gesture," says Lawrie. Each component of the project has been scheduled and phased to minimize impacts to the passenger experience while maintaining airport operations, says Mike Mencin, project manager with EllisDon/ Hunt (JV), citing the Eye in the Sky construction as an example. To achieve its objective of bringing in natural light, "the clerestory passes through the arrivals transfer level and down to the departures level," he says. Based on the scheduled opening of the departures concourse for domestic and international passengers Node C, it was required to open the roof for the clerestory construction in the late fall and complete the construction through the winter. To avoid water damage to the floors below, a temporary roof was constructed on the floor of the arrivals transfer level, complete with roof drains to remove rainwater and melted snow. The crane utilized to erect the structural steel was required at one LOCATION Toronto Pearson International Airport, Toronto, Ontario OWNER/DEVELOPER Greater Toronto Airports Authority ARCHITECT/STRUCTURAL/ MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL/ INTERIOR DESIGN CONSULTANT Stantec CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS EllisDon Corporation and Huntcor Infrastructure Of Canada, Inc. (EllisDon Hunt JV) TOTAL SIZE 78,471 square metres TOTAL COST $250 million of the busiest gates at the terminal, meaning the structural steel erection had to be completed between 1 a.m and 4 a.m., with special provisions for traffic control on the apron and redirecting passengers to avoid swinging steel over guests and employees. An interesting by-product of the atrium's construction was its effect on the above floor – it allowed landlocked, airside offices to be moved to the more accessible landside, and rerouted international arriving passengers from a dark corridor space to a bright, open corridor between the Eye in the Sky and a glass wall. "It gave arriving passengers and staff a better experience and created view connections between floors," says Lawrie. "It makes the floor more functional, connected and interesting." As the floor-to-floor heights were less generous than in contemporary buildings, the team managed to make gains in raising the ceilings to accommodate mechanical and electrical systems. The team implemented more efficient mechanical units and in some cases optimized duct and piping layouts to allow for more generous ceiling heights. Key high passenger and staff flow areas feature plastic laminate wall panels and back painted glass, while softer materials like wood and drywall were installed above touch zone areas. Feature walls and colours are used to enhance wayfinding, with a consistent colour theme at washrooms and entry areas. "Stronger colours are used in limited, high-impact places where they create jewel-like contrast to a muted, calmer general palate," says Lawrie. "We used colours and wood ceilings to aid in intuitive wayfinding to places like pre-board entries and gate counters, as well." As of January, the project is on-schedule for its targeted completion date in mid-2018. "Considering the size and scope of this undertaking, as well as the challenges of completing major works in a busy, dynamic airport environment, the progress has been exceptional," says Crepinsek. A

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