McCarran International Airport
Northeast Wing & Ramp Control Tower & D gate Terminal
Las Vegas
Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects

Terminal and tower ready for take off

© Alan Karchmer

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above. To see the people and products behind this project click on 'people & products.'

This 11-gate addition to McCarran’s Satellite D Terminal increases the airport’s passenger capacity with new waiting areas, airline clubrooms, restaurants, retail shops, and—seemingly obligatory for every space in Las Vegas—gaming areas. Tate Snyder Kimsey specifically designed it to accommodate future expansions of the airport. Its appearance incorporates design elements from the first phase of the Satellite D project, including exposed steel trusses, a curved roof, natural daylight, and thematic images of the Las Vegas Strip.

As envisioned in the master plan for the terminal, the new control tower provides a visual counterpart and iconic presence to the arced roof of the central terminal. It houses ramp control operations for the gates in Satellite D and for the gates in a proposed international terminal. The control tower’s twin support structures can also accommodate the construction of a new automated train system. The tower’s height was determined by calculating the shadows cast by existing buildings as well as future expansions.

The architect situated the tower cab, a round room providing 360-degree views, between and above the support structures to enable air traffic controls to see over the terminal. The angled glass reduces reflection and helps visually connect the tower’s profile to the main terminal. This angled profile is also evident in the two structural legs supporting the cab. A fixed canopy reduces solar glare, as does a series of layered motorized shades along the face of the glass.

In keeping with Tate Snyder Kimsey’s commitment to community outreach, the firm worked with the Clark County Department of Aviation and the Clark County School District to devise a program for incorporating children’s artwork into the terminal. Local middle school students participated in a paper airplane competition. Twelve winners were selected to have their planes replicated in a sculpture that will be suspended from the vaulted ceiling of the buildings’ northeast wing.

Formal name of Project:
McCarran International Airport, Northeast Wing & Ramp Control Tower & D gate Terminal

Location:
Las Vegas

Gross square footage:
9,695 square feet - tower
145,259 square feet - terminal

Total construction cost:
$56 Million

Owner:
Clark County Department of Aviation

Architect:
Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects
709 Valle Verde Court
Henderson, NV 89014
702-456-3000 tel.
702-898-6209 fax
www.tatesnyderkimsey.com