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Work on the new Terminal E at Boston Logan International Airport has been completed by AECOM, luis vidal + architects, and Suffolk following a five-year and almost $640 million construction effort.
Standing out thanks to its prismatic red-colored aluminum roof panels, the 390,000-square foot expansion adds four new gates to the 49-year-old international terminal while modernizing its existing interior spaces and adding a security checkpoint, HVAC system, restaurants, and new 21,000-square-foot Delta Sky Club.
Luis Vidal, the president and founding partner of luis vidal + architects, says the result is “a bold, striking building designed with sustainable principles and focused on providing a unique, comfortable, and healthy environment for passengers and workers alike.” He has also described it as the first example of a “Fourth generation” of airport design in America.
The new terminal serves as the centerpiece of the larger capital plan for Logan begun by Massport before the pandemic and supported by funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It adds to the architectural history of the airport that includes a now-demolished design from Minoru Yamasaki and SOM’s more recent four-gate expansion of Terminal E from 2018. Echoing Vidal’s piece, President Biden told reporters it would be a “modern terminal worthy of America’s city on the hill” while visiting the construction site last September.
For the terminal’s finish, Vidal traveled to Switzerland to access the labs at Monopol Colors. It was there that he says he pursued a patent for ‘Boston Red’ that was born out of the unique brick buildings and cultural identity of the city. The color morphs with the sun’s incidence to provide a welcoming touch of tonality that evokes campus, the Back Bay, summer baseball games, and leaves changing in the fall.
“Boston Red goes from orange to burgundy to red. It’s very much linked to the roots of Boston because most of Boston’s symbols are red, and the shading is also emulating the striking sunsets, which are visible from the terminal. No one else can use it. It’s specific to Boston Logan. Full stop, period,” Vidal explained in an earlier interview to Boston.com.
AECOM was equally diligent in incorporating a sustainability strategy into its design and construction. The company has said they will seek a LEED Gold certification for their efforts from the U.S. Green Building Council. AECOM’s principal architect for the project said its realization finally stands as a “testament to the strength of the Boston region’s demand for travel.”