Nashville International Airport has opened a new 200,000 sq. ft. Grand Lobby, including 24 TSA security lanes and immersive digital displays and art installations to welcome travellers.
The renovated and reimagined space in the centre of the terminal is a core component of the ‘BNA Vision’ plan to provide world-class facilities and marks the return to a single terminal at Nashville International Airport.
“Since the launch of ‘BNA Vision’ in 2017, we’ve been hard at work building and renovating Nashville International Airport to meet the travel demands of Tennessee today and into the future,” said Doug Kreulen, President and CEO, Nashville International Airport. “The new Grand Lobby dramatically changes the look, feel, and energy of the airport. We’ve more than doubled our security screening capacity to handle the region’s growth and popularity as a destination. With large-scale art installations, high-definition video displays, new restaurants, and retail spaces, and floor-to-ceiling windows, it will be clear as soon as you step foot into BNA that Nashville is home to a world-class airport.”
The Grand Lobby features a sweeping roof canopy with an oculus skylight reminiscent of an acoustic guitar when viewed from above. It also includes a pedestrian bridge that connects to the Grand Plaza, Terminal Parking Garage, and a future hotel. Once inside, travellers are greeted with an immersive multimedia showcase through two enormous 12K resolution screens.
The lobby also prominently features a five-storey sculpture from artist Jacob Hashimoto called ‘The Unscalable Ramparts of Time’, an installation crafted with 8,000 washi paper kites suspended from fibre glass rods.
“The opening of the new on-airport Hilton Hotel and International Arrivals Facility later this year will mark the completion of our original ‘BNA Vision’ plan, but we’re already looking beyond that given Nashville and Middle Tennessee’s unprecedented growth,” Kreulen added. “The next phase, which we’re calling ‘New Horizon’, is an additional $1.4 billion plan phased out over the next six years with completion in late 2028. That work is underway now, and we can’t wait to share our progress over the next few years.”
