How can public infrastructure tell the story of a region?
For the Kenton County Airport Board, this question is central to the success of Elevate CVG, the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport’s expansive terminal renovation project.
The Elevate CVG campaign is a three-phase, multi-year terminal redevelopment project designed to enhance operational efficiency, modernize facilities, and improve the customer experience. Concourse A and B, which are housed in CVG’s passenger terminal, have not received significant upgrades since 2012. The concourses were built in 1993.
Specific aspects of the project include reconfiguring the terminal’s Welcome Pointe area, expanding the capacity of the ticketing counter and customer service building, and revamping its baggage movement system.
On Monday, the airport board, the governing body of the airport, held a special meeting to discuss potential architectural design choices for the terminal with representatives from AECOM Hunt, Skanska USA and HOK, among others.
“We’ll get views from all of you as board members on how we move forward with the architecture piece and reflecting a sense of place for our region,” CVG CEO Larry Krauter said.
Aaron Heisman, senior project manager at HOK, told airport officials that the design team is using a “sense of place” framework to guide their decision-making process.
Some of the core tenets of the framework centered on durability, integrated technology, local influence, and curating a welcoming atmosphere, as well as providing a modern and refined experience.
During the session, project planners highlighted several key regional themes and symbols to guide them through the design process. These included the Ohio River, historic bridges, and confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers as symbols of connection and development; local industries such as brewing and bourbon; regional art and events; the area’s natural landscape and parks; historic architecture; and the prominence of sports culture.
Kenton County Airport Board Vice Chair Chad Summe noted that he wanted Elevate CVG’s design program to focus on regional symbols that are not only recognizable to people in the area but also known throughout the United States.
“I think there’s few people out there over the country that recognize the businesses we do have here, like it’s still a story. It’s not a story to us. We have to remember that,” Summe said. “So the largest consumer good company in the world–here, the largest standalone grocer in the country–these are stories that seem old here, but when you’re on the road, it’s not known.”
Planners presented three design concepts to airport officials. The first, “Rivers of Flow,” emphasizes a consistent terminal layout and circulation. Next, “Neighborhood Parks” utilizes prominent parks throughout Greater Cincinnati to inspire an open and bright spaces movement, featuring quieter zones for waiting. The last concept, “Future Leaning,” utilizes minimal architecture, digital signage, and wayfinding to articulate regional identity.
A highly discussed topic was the Ohio River’s connection to the culture, history and legacy of the Greater Cincinnati area. HOK Director of Design Ryan Byrnes referred to the regional rivers as the “lifeblood” of the region.
“The confluence of the two rivers was a key theme that we ran into early on as a driver for the development of this region,” he said. “The rivers are a connector, but also a sort of destination with riverfront parks and walks along the river. This idea is that rivers are the lifeblood of early regional development.”
The next step is for Elevate CVG’s design team to analyze and incorporate feedback from airport officials to guide future design decisions. Currently, phase one of Elevate CVG is underway, which mainly focuses on “back of the house” infrastructure improvements.
