Parking Spotlight

The shingled arrangement of the glass creates natural airflow in and out of the garage, eliminating the energy cost of mechanical ventilation. To attach the 6’ x 14’ panels without a costly steel substructure, Bendheim and LängleGlas designed and manufactured a custom system of vertical compression clips, reflecting Bendheim’s extensive experience with glass attachment systems, the 14-inch-long clips are engineered to hold 800-pound panels of glass securely in place, all while accommodating construction tolerances, live load movement, wind loads, and expansion joints.

On the aesthetic front, BNIM “kicked out” glass fins at selected points on the façade to create a visual connection between the parking facility and the nearby terminal. The location of the fins also subtly assists passengers to locate the two pedestrian crossings in the roadway. By day, reflective glass on the north façade presents a view of ground and sky to approaching motorists, while the etched glass on the west façade softens light directed at the terminal. At night (equally important for a round-the-clock transportation hub), individually programmable LED lights on each glass panel illuminate the structure and highlight its details.

Kansas City taxpayers approved the $1.5 billion upgrade to their city’s front door by public referendum in 2017, and the public’s convenience was never far from project planners’ minds. In addition to parking only steps from the terminal, travelers can expect a faster and less frustrating experience thanks to an advanced parking assist system by TKH Security: red and green ceiling lights show the way to open spaces. Passengers can leave their electric vehicles to charge at one of the 52 designated spaces—or have valet parking do it for them. Looking to the future (and contributing to the overall project’s achievement of LEED BD+C NC Gold Certification), a 168-kW array of solar panels on the south façade provides for the building’s power needs, including its ability to charge a fleet of electric buses.

The airport parking experience will also benefit from the impact of Kansas City’s signature One Percent for Art initiative, which established a $5.6 million budget for public art at the renovated airport. A colorful installation by Hou De Sousa entitled “Flights” greets passengers in the parking structure stairwell, invoking the excitement of travel with visual allusions to aircraft design and a vibrant sense of activity. ◆