Building for Air Travel : Architecture and Design for Commercial Aviation

This is a survey which examines the development of architecture and design for air travel from 1909.

The book documents developments in airport architecture, aircraft construction, and interior design, right through to airline corporate identity.

Among the historical material included are interior views of the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, the Blohm and Voss flying boat, the Martin Aircraft Company assembly factory in Baltimore in 1937, and the first terminal building at Le Bourget Airport, Paris and La Guardia, New York.

More recent design and architecture is highlighted by projects such as the proposed building at San Francisco International Airport, the latest control towers at Chicago O'Hare, New York JFK, and Los Angeles International Airports, and Richard Rogers' proposed design for Terminal 5 at London Heathrow.

Essay on design and architecture examine many influential factors from the early days of aviation to the present day, including the impact of the Hoover administration's pledge of "an airport in every city" on America's air transportation.

The essays analyze how changes in perception and the effects of encroaching urban growth have affected airport location in relation to city centres.

The book concludes with a pilot's perspective, often misunderstood by planners and designers, showing how the "airside" and "landslide" points of view are of equal importance in airport design.