Design Principals Trent Tesch and Mustafa Chehabeddine sit down to discuss KPF’s approach to airport design, creating efficient and uplifting passenger experiences and prioritizing contextual identity.
Drawing on their individual experiences as both users and designers of airports, namely Changi Airport Terminal 5 (designed by KPF in collaboration with Heatherwick studio) and Zayed International Airport Terminal A, Trent and Mustafa discuss how airports can become more than transit points—offering vibrant, comfortable, and interesting moments while performing at the highest level. The video highlights the unique challenges and opportunities presented by each project, from Changi’s city-like terminal to Zayed’s monumental public spaces. Across these diverse contexts, Trent and Mustafa emphasize the importance of creating airports that are not only efficient and functional, but also elegant and culturally meaningful.
KPF’s expertise in crafting successful urban environments, such as Victoria Dockside in Hong Kong or Hudson Yards in New York, informs the firm’s approach to airport projects—reimagining them as their own type of urban environment, a distinct combination of structures and systems that enable human connection.
