Click on image to enlarge The challenge of this project was to create a uniform image of flight safety in America. The directive was to design the most contemporary, state-of-the-art control tower which could be repeated across the country as a permanent symbol of air security. The FAA initiative was the first of many programs emanating from the Kennedy administration's
emphasis on improved design in public buildings. The program specified three prototypical towers adaptable to all airfields, large and small, which could accommodate broad ranges of air traffic, operational services and physical configurations. Each installation included one component from each of three categories: 1) an aluminum control cab designed for unobstructed views and minimum specular refraction — a mass-produced instrumented
package of prefabricated parts that could be assembled on the ground and hoisted into place, 2) a board-formed cast-in-place concrete shaft programmed as an independent freestanding tower and housing elevators, electronic cables, stairs, toilets, etc., and 3) a cast-in-place concrete support facility at grade level and sometimes below, including administrative, mechanical, electrical and radar space. The site plan for each assemblage was adapted to its unique location. |
