sfo international airport elevated road system
san francisco, ca
MacDonald Architects, in collaboration with Parsons Transportation Group and OPAC Engineers, designed the profiles for the overhead road system located between U.S. Highway 101 and the San Francisco International Airport Terminal. The aesthetic compatibility of the elevated circulation road is created through the use of the architectural shapes found in the new terminal building:
- Repeating the terminal's curved roof shape in the elevated road's profile
- Guardrail and column designs relate to the similarly shaped elements in the terminal facade, which helped to minimize their large structural mass
- Aesthetics are enhanced through the use of lighting and the detail of the barrier rail
- Bridge support columns within the roadway are round or oval columns, accenting the round columns on the western façade of the terminal complex
By unifying the design details of the new air terminal structure and the new overhead road systems, MacDonald Architects created a harmonious framework that married the overhead roadways to the architecture of the new terminal.