Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

TehWildMan_ t1_iueg543 wrote

Lower ceilings tend to create the feeling of being in a cramped space, which is something many modern renovation/construction projects try to avoid

147

zoinkability t1_iufs589 wrote

The exhibit A for this is the 60s Penn Station in Manhattan. They kept the basic functionality of the station but by putting it in a bunch of tunnels they turned it into a claustrophobic, unpleasant place.

41

_Haverford_ t1_iugbdt0 wrote

As someone who uses contemporary Penn weekly, thinking about the old structure makes me so sad. Penn Station is a dismal, depressing place. Even the improvements over by the LIRR suck. They set up a whole room of diffuse lights to simulate daylight, which sounds great... Walking through at 10:00pm at night and suddenly being in "daylight" is nauseating.

26

Far_Bit3621 t1_iuf2m92 wrote

Concurse F at MSP has low ceilings and it feels super dingy to me as a result. The rest of the airport is great but that one concourse seems so cramped and old fashioned.

12

Sparklesperson t1_iug7sx5 wrote

Main terminal? (T1)? I'm in and out of MSP a lot, but usually T2.

3

Far_Bit3621 t1_iui30ei wrote

Great question! I forgot to mention this is T1. They’ve been doing some nice upgrades/remodels there over the years, especially the bathrooms! They have some gorgeous mosaic tile work at some of the bathroom entrances now.

2

TrShry OP t1_iuegmsj wrote

Yeah true, but seems so unnecessary being this tall

−6

RTXEnabledViera t1_iuejfv8 wrote

But since we can make them tall, we do. This isn't just airports. Look at Union station. Built in the 20s yet feels like a giant hall with a very tall roof. This isn't some new age architecture fad. Many will argue it's twice as important in airports to make passengers feel at ease since they're about to be crammed in a narrow metal tube for hours. Better to get a look at the blue sky and planes landing/taking off.

11

dmazzoni t1_iueom40 wrote

> Look at Union station.

Which one?

Not sure if you were aware, but there are ~144 train stations called "Union Station" in the U.S. alone, and many more around the world:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Union_stations_in_the_United_States

20

evanthebouncy t1_iuez2go wrote

One in NYC. I'll bet on that one.

3

shotsallover t1_iuf6yfw wrote

The one in Washington, DC also fits that description.

8

gwaydms t1_iuffcze wrote

DC Union Station is a grand old building.

3

RTXEnabledViera t1_iufxsbz wrote

Meant Union Station in DC, should have probably just mentioned Grand Central since it's the train station everyone knows.

3

BassoonHero t1_iufivy7 wrote

There's a lot of psychology that goes into architecture. A lot of things are the way they are because they make people comfortable.

Airports have to have large spaces — at least in two dimensions. The third dimension could be short without sacrificing function (other than perhaps ventilation), but it would feel cramped and oppressive. It's no different from a big-box store — a lot of them have higher ceilings than they'd otherwise need, simply to make it feel comfortably spacious.

10

GravitationalEddie t1_iugkr40 wrote

I have a feeling the fact that many people in the airport are about to spend, or just spent who knows how long in a cramped space, has something to do with the psychology of airport architecture.

8

BassoonHero t1_iuglqb1 wrote

That could well be; I don't know. But you see the same kinds of design in any large indoor space designed for a lot of people, not just in transportation terminals: shopping malls, ballrooms, big box stores, and so on.

4