Projects

Salt Lake City Airport - USA

On wings of porcelain

Amongst the new facilities at Utah's airport, the Suspended Bridge appears to take flight thanks to an ultrathin ceramic floor
Author
Alfredo Zappa
Photos
William Milner
Surfaces
LEA
Year of completion
2013

In the early days of aviation, aeroplanes were magnificent flying machines that inspired dreams and fired the imagination. But in today’s age of mass transportation, following the “low-cost” revolution, they have all but lost their original appeal, essentially becoming airborne buses where a comfortable seat is more important than the evocative power of their image. Airports on the other hand have undergone the opposite trend. The original grass airfields equipped with little more than a windsock have been transformed into theatres for the liturgy of flight. Functional, rational and hypertechnological places by nature, they are increasingly also becoming iconic architectural objects commissioned from leading names in world architecture. This is a process that has been repeated the world over on many different scales, whether metropolises with millions of inhabitants or smaller cities such as Salt Lake City with its population of under 200,000.
The small and relatively young capital of the state of Utah, founded in 1847 by a Mormon community, stands at the feet of the Rocky Mountains and came to international attention when it hosted the winter Olympic Games in 2002. For a number of years now, the local practice AJC Architects has been working in close cooperation with the team from SLCDA (Salt Lake City Department of Airports) on a detailed airport remodelling and expansion programme involving various levels of complexity: from implementation and renovation of the buildings and technical facilities to the redesign of the interiors and services for transiting passengers.
One of the latest works to be completed is the Suspended Bridge connecting Terminal 1 with the car park and car rental areas. This reinforced concrete and steel volume combines a slender structural mesh with an envelope consisting of large glazed surfaces. The play of light and shadows deriving from the volume’s permeability to light helps create a highly dynamic environment.
The floor covering played a key role. The design requirement was to find a lightweight, large-format material that would avoid overburdening the structure while being able to withstand high foot traffic. To fulfil these needs, AJC Architects chose Lea Slimtech ultrathin (3.5 mm thick) porcelain sheets, produced in sizes of up to 3 metres by 1 metre. The Basaltina and Arenaria finishes, which recreate the effect of natural stone in a range of colours, together with a multiple size installation layout (100×100 cm, 50×100 cm and 50×50 cm), give the surfaces an outstanding finish with fields of colour that highlight and enhance the transit areas.

Tiles
Lea Ceramiche, serie: Slimtech Basaltina, Slimtech Arenaria
Type
porcelain stoneware
Sizes
50x50 cm; 50x100 cm; 100x100 cm
Colours
Stuccata, Sabbia
Technical characteristics
Water absorpion (ISO 10545-3): ≤0,1%
Chemical resistance (ISO 10545-13): UHA, ULA
Resistance to deep abrasion (ISO 10545-6): ≤ 145 mm3
Stain resistance (ISO 10545-14): compliant
Frost resistance (ISO 10545-12): compliant
Modulus of rupture and breaking strength (ISO 10545-4): ≥ 120 N/mm2
Slip resistance (DIN 51130): R9
Thermal shock resistance (ISO 10545-9): compliant
Linear thermal expansion (ISO 10545-8): compliant
Certifications and awards
LEED
EMAS
ISO 14001
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