La Guardia Airport East Field Lighting Vault

The Port Authority of New York steps towards better preparedness for Mother Nature with a new facility for lighting La Guardia Airport.

When Superstorm Sandy hit New York in Fall 2011, we saw how vulnerable the city’s major transit hubs were. La Guardia Airport’s soon-to-be-completed East Field Lighting Vault was borne of that storm and ongoing efforts to expand the airport.

Since the airport already boasted one lighting vault to the west, the most suitable location was at the northeast end of the main terminals, placing it in plain view of Terminal D and one of the airport’s major runways. We ventured to produce a facility that was function-first and visually striking.

The building’s interior and approximate footprint were established early by sizing and optimizing the necessary electrical equipment. Setting the building within an oversized enclosure offered the advantage of carving clear, weather-protected entrances with space left for the exterior roof downspouts.

East Elmhurst, Queens, N.Y., NY
30% Schematic Design 2013

DESIGN ROLES
Schematic Design
Project Architect

DESIGN TEAM
Stephen Ting
Michael Prince