A building exclusively for diplomatic visits, an autonomous shuttle system and a conversion of its distinctive main terminal into a museum are just some of the changes that could be in store for Dulles International Airport.
The U.S. Department of Transportation requested proposals in early December for ways to “revitalize” the airport on the Fairfax/Loudoun county border, claiming that it’s in “a state of disrepair” and already-planned renovations are “insufficient” for a global gateway to the nation’s capital.
While local leaders have disputed the Trump administration’s characterization of Dulles, the call drew more than two dozen responses from architectural and engineering firms, technology companies and other parties before the submission window closed on Tuesday (Jan. 20).
The offered concepts range in scope from full redesigns to the addition of telework and “wellness” pods.
“We believe that revitalization can be achieved not only through monumental architecture, but also through thoughtfully designed micro-environments that travelers inhabit during moments of stress, delay, and transition,” New York-based Rebound said in its wellness pods pitch.
The company estimated that an initial pilot of eight pods — four for workers and four for yoga or meditation — would cost $150,000 for manufacturing, shipping and installation, but Dulles Airport wouldn’t carry any ongoing operating or maintenance costs.
On the other end of the financial spectrum, a redevelopment proposed by Ironbridge P3 Infrastructure, a Vienna-based investment and consulting firm that specializes in airports, would cost an estimated $35 to $55 billion.
The project would preserve the main terminal building designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen and opened in 1962 as a national aviation museum, VIP terminal and “ceremonial space,” while shifting most of the airport’s actual operations to a brand-new terminal and concourse system, according to the submitted proposal.
“A new terminal and concourse complex should be developed adjacent to Saarinen that is designed from first principles for modern aircraft, security, passenger flows, and airline operations,” Ironbridge said. “This approach preserves America’s architectural heritage while delivering a future-proof international gateway.”
Ferrovial, a Spanish infrastructure operator involved in the expansion of the I-66 Express Lanes outside the Capital Beltway, proposed an $18 billion redevelopment that would turn the Saarinen terminal into a departures lounge and add a processor building closer to the Silver Line Metro station, among other changes.
Some respondents put forward options for making Dulles more efficient, including alternatives to the mobile lounge system singled out by the U.S. Department of Transportation as an example of the airport’s “dated” facilities.
The Bay Area startup Glydways proposed connecting all the terminals and concourses with an underground network of electric, autonomous vehicles.
Expected to first launch in Atlanta, Georgia, in late 2026, the company says its dedicated circulation infrastructure would provide faster, more predictable trips than “legacy” forms of transportation like Dulles’ mobile lounges and AeroTrain, which currently doesn’t serve Concourse D — United Airlines’ main hub.
“Glydways’ small, lightweight and battery-electric operations enables low-cost tunneled deployments that can complement the existing AeroTrain to extend to Concourse D,” Glydways said in its proposal. “Over time Glydways can retrofit the existing AeroTrain tunnels and eventually eliminate the need for the AeroTrain entirely, while still moving the same capacity of passengers.”
Alternatively, an up-and-coming, Delaware-based company called Eden Blue promises to restore the “Jetsons excitement of proximity to aircraft” with Direct Jet Transports that appear to carry passengers from a single consolidated terminal to their planes. The concept also includes a new express drop-off facility and a new concessions area.
In addition to perhaps not coincidentally giving its technology the same initials as President Donald Trump, Eden Blue hopes to distinguish itself by trumpeting an “enthusiastic” endorsement by Eero Saarinen’s daughter Susan:
The Saarinen family has been deeply involved in the design and uniquely, enthusiastically endorses this approach, recognizing that Eden Blue’s technology represents the first true continuation of Eero Saarinen’s prophetic insights: taking the passenger to the plane, rather than bringing the plane to the passenger, all whilst reducing walking distances and cost dramatically; and increasing efficiency for airports and airlines alike.
Eden Blue isn’t the only applicant appealing directly to Trump, who has simultaneously praised Saarinen and decried Dulles Airport as “incorrectly designed.”
Ironbridge proposed naming one of its envisioned new concourses after Trump, while the architectural firm Bermello Ajamil and Partners provided renderings of a new terminal bearing the president’s name.
Ajamil’s concept calls for a new passenger processing facility that could be built either as an expansion on the Saarinen terminal or as a separate building, along with a “civic spine” as a transition space between check-ins and the gates and a y-shaped pier for international arrivals.
“While each option responds to distinct airfield conditions and long term development strategies, the underlying approach remains the same: to create a modern, efficient, and dignified terminal environment that strengthens IAD’s role as the Nation’s international gateway,” the firm said.
Investment firms Fengate Capital Management Ltd. (“Fengate”) and AltitudeX Aviation Group are calling their joint venture Terminal Redevelopment & Upgrade Management Platform Airports (or TRUMP Airports). They’ve proposed:
- Updating Dulles’ existing concourses to keep up with the new 14-gate Concourse E slated to open this year
- Adding a dedicated Head of State Terminal for welcoming diplomats and dignitaries visiting D.C.
- Replacing the mobile lounges with “a fully connected train system”
- Installing a “microgrid” to provide electricity to the airport, with any excess energy going back into the local power grid
In light of Trump’s demolition of the White House’s East Wing and alterations to the Kennedy Center, the request for proposals also drew pleas from the Art Deco Society of Washington and Docomomo DC for Saarinen’s work on the main terminal to be preserved as a historic architectural work.
“Washington Dulles International Airport stands as a symbol of American optimism, innovation, and design excellence. Its loss or irreversible alteration would be a profound and permanent mistake,” Docomomo DC said, stressing that “modernization and preservation are not mutually exclusive.”
The Art Deco Society of Washington’s preservation chair, Deborah Chalfie, urged the U.S. Department of Transportation to only consider proposals that preserve the main terminal’s design, noting that the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has renovated and expanded Dulles in the past without any interference.
“DOT should not let Dulles Airport meet the same fate as New York’s original Penn Station, demolishing a magnificent specimen of architecture,” Chalfie said. “The Dulles terminal is considered an architectural masterwork by Saarinen and it should be preserved.”
It’s unclear when the Trump administration will decide which proposals to pursue, but MWAA President and CEO John Potter said yesterday that the authority will work with DOT and the Federal Aviation Administration to review the submissions, the Washington Business Journal reported.
At the MWAA board meeting, Potter acknowledged that Dulles continues to face criticism from some quarters, but he believes “the airport has come a long way in the past decade.”
“We’re excited about the prospects for the future,” he said.
Scott McCaffrey contributed to this report.
