Raleigh-Durham International Airport

North Carolina is the kind of place that stays with you, no matter where you might live.

The beauty of the land, from the mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, the fine craftsmanship, the famed Southern hospitality—it’s all ingrained in those who’ve called North Carolina home. Curtis Fentress’ vision for the Terminal 2 replacement at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) bears witness to that. Fentress was born, raised, and educated in North Carolina, and stayed close to his roots even after graduating from college. The culture and place are part of Fentress, so it was natural that his design for a new terminal for RDU would reflect the region’s soul. Which explains the paradox at work at RDU.On one hand, this is a place where crafts and a legacy of making things—from fabric to musical instruments to furniture—are creative and economic forces. Yet this airport, situation between Duke University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina—is also a home to some of the most high-tech and innovative industries and research facilities in the world, spurred by the founding in the 1950s of Research Triangle Park. Indigenous crafts and forward-thinking design may appear to hail from different universes, but this reflects the duality of today’s society: high-tech meets high-touch or “hand-made and mind-made.”Fentress knowledge of the two side of the cultural reality allowed him to balance the innately mechanical nature of a giant public facility with elements that reference the impact of natural resources and the human hand. Open for flights in 2011, the new world-class terminal celebrates the airport’s role as a gateway to North Carolina and the Research Triangle Region. The design team drew inspiration from the region’s natural landscape and cultural heritage to craft an iconic, memorable building with comfortable, daylit interiors. The most prominent features are the dramatic wood lenticular trusses arching overhead, speaking to the rich furniture tradition of the region. At 920,000 square feet, Terminal 2 is nearly three times larger than the terminal it replaces serving two concourses with 36 gates, accommodating up to 11.4 million passengers a year. Fentress’ design guides passengers effortlessly through a column-free, long-span structure while maximizing flexibility for the future. State-of-the-art technology features common-use facilities and a fully automated in-line baggage screening system to simplify the security process. Additionally, extensive glass curtainwalls along the terminal and concourses allow abundant sunshine to illuminate interior spaces while connecting travelers to activity on the tarmac. The terminal building is a timeless expression of Raleigh-Durham’s regional culture. The major exterior and interior architectural elements are abstractions of North Carolina’s agricultural, textile, and high-tech communities.“The theme of the rolling hills is expressed in the roof. Using wood beams and hardwoods in the building brings and a feeling of Carolinian and Southern hospitality,” Fentress says. “No other major airport in America has wood beams in the ceilings. The forward-thinking design and incorporation of indigenous crafts reflects our theme of ‘hand-made, mind-made.’ This airport is warm and inviting and distinctly of its place.