As the country's key economic facility, the effective and efficient operation of the Hewanorra International Airport is vital to economic growth. Therefore, it was necessary that the construction works did not affect the operations of the facility. Hence, the works had to be undertaken during the time outside of working hours, typically night hours.Eglan Flavien, Prinicipal Engineer
Constructed on an old military base used to defend the allies during World War II, the airfield was converted to the Hewanorra International Airport in the early 1970’2. It now serves as the larger of the island’s two airports, primarily handling international flights. At present, the airport accommodates upwards of 700,000 passengers on an annual basis on regular commercial and chartered flights directly from out of the region markets, including the UK, USA and Canada.
The route taken by a departing passenger through the facility is simple. From the curb side set-down point through to the check-in area, emigration and passport control, security and screening, and the departure lounge and adjacent gates, all occur on a single level. However, with the growth of the island’s tourism, travel, and leisure business and the consequent increase in passenger throughput, this route and the airport’s spaces become saturated at times of peak operation, leading to an uncomfortable experience.
Recent improvements to the curb-side set-down and check-in areas have yielded positive results; however, the St Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority recognised that the inadequacy of, particularly, the emigration and departure lounge areas of the airport still necessitated some attention. The authority, therefore, has sought to rectify this issue with upgraded interiors, improved flow and increased capacity of these spaces. These improvements to provide a more pleasant experience for passengers, workers of the airport, airlines and concession store workers on both the landside emigration and the airside departure lounge.
The extension works consist of the renovation of a section of the existing airside departure lounge and the construction of a simple but elegant exposed structural steel frame extension towards the south, measuring over 3,789 square feet of internal space and 2,780 square feet of external concourse space. The design of the roof allows for the migration of natural light over the course of the day to give the space an open and light feel.
