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Centrair
(Central Japan International Airport)
A Friendly
Passenger Terminal
with a Universal Design
Access infrastructure
in the vicinity of the airport island is smoothly taking shape. In
one project a bridge to the island for both cars and trains is being
built. Work is also going rapidly forward on the road and rail links
to the bridge. The road link will cross the Chita Peninsula from the
Handa-Tokoname Interchange on the Chita Peninsula Expressway, while
the rail link will start at Tokoname Station on the Meitetsu (Nagoya
Railroad) Tokoname Line. Two of the bridge’s car lanes were opened
to construction vehicles this summer, thus facilitating full-fledged
work on the passenger terminal and other facilities. |
Centrair, as
the Central Japan International Airport has been nicknamed, is to
open in 2005. The passenger terminal building is going up even as
the airport's artificial island is being formed in Ise Bay
three kilometers off the city of Tokoname. Now that the reclamation
is nearing completion, interest has shifted to the novel conception
of this terminal. The available plans of the completed building
indicate that it will be a world-class facility, one thoughtfully
conceived down to the finest details.
The first concept that guided the design of Centrair's passenger
terminal is “user-friendly.” The flow planning puts arrivals
and departures on separate levels, reducing the need for passengers
to move between floors. Access paths from the train station, parking
lots, and ferry pier will be easy to follow. Not just restrooms
but also nursing rooms and other such facilities have been incorporated
into the design. Indeed, the thoroughness with which the philosophy
of universal design has been applied is truly astonishing. From
the basic design stage on, users, consultants, the disabled, and
other interested parties were drawn into the process of deciding
what to include and where to pay special attention. Transcending
the notion of the barrier-free building, this will be a terminal
that is universally easy for everybody to use, regardless of age
or disability.
"Simple" is the second design concept. Users should have
no difficulty figuring out the compact and functional layout, which
brings international and domestic arrivals and departures together,
each with its own area on the respective arrival and departure levels.
With the check-in counters connected by moving walkways to the gates,
which are arranged in an inverted T, no passenger will need to walk
more than 300 meters to get to his or her flight.
The third design concept is "vibrant." Apart from an observation
deck and an area devoted to concessions, there will be a large indoor
garden in the Center Pier where arriving and departing passengers
can enjoy themselves and where events hosted by local people will
take place. Effective use will also be made of nature’s energy,
with sunlight providing illumination for large spaces like the check-in
lobby and solar power supplying electricity to planes.
Yukihisa Hirano, president of the Central Japan International Airport
Co., Ltd., states that the objective is to make this “a high-quality
facility not just for people taking flights but also for those who
come to the airport for enjoyment.” Without doubt this air
hub being given birth right in the middle of Japan will become a
major attraction exciting people everywhere.
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