Curtis Fentress had just three weeks to come up with a design for Denver International Airport. Completed in 1995, the airport—with its distinctive peaked white-fabric roof—helped put Fentress and his Denver-based firm in the architectural spotlight. Since then, the 64-year-old North Carolina native has built a reputation as a forward-thinking designer of airports and other civic buildings. His airports, including South Korea’s Incheon International, are consistently top-rated in passenger surveys. Currently under construction is a $1.4 billion expansion of Los Angeles International Airport, the first major addition to LAX since 1984. With two-story jetways, it will accommodate nine double-decker Airbus A380 airliners at one time. Fentress spoke to Architectural Record about this project and the changing nature of air travel. The firm’s airports are the focus of an exhibition at the Denver Art Museum. "Now Boarding: Fentress Airports + The Architecture of Flight" runs through Oct. 7, 2012.
DH: What makes a good airport?
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