San Francisco Airport – Int’l Terminal

With over 40 million passengers per year, this airport is the ninth biggest airport in the U.S. and the second biggest airport on the West Coast after Los Angeles' International Airport. The terminal is topped with a graceful 12,000 sq.ft. Birdair PTFE tensile membrane roof whose wing-like form directly expresses the structural diagram of its bending forces. A series of double-cantilevered trusses linked by bowstring trusses support the roof, minimizing the need for load-bearing columns. Birdair designed and built the PTFE membrane skylights and clerestories within the international terminal, bringing ample natural light into the building. Open and airy, the main ticketing hall was inspired by the great railway stations of Europe. A natural bamboo grove was planted within the hall, one of the terminal’s many sustainable features.