The Upcoming Generation of Air Traffic Control Towers are Sustainable

Before I.M. Pei created some of the world's most recognizable buildings, from the Louvre Pyramid in Paris to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, he designed air traffic control towers.

In 1962, Pei's small firm won a competition to create the standard blueprint for air traffic control towers across the country, providing the perch for controllers to monitor and clear planes for taxi, takeoff and landing. But many of those mid-century modernist structures are now entering their seventh decade in operation, including Chicago O’Hare, Sacramento, Madison, and Jacksonville, well beyond their intended life span—and, according to critics, they pose a significant threat to the environment.

Now, more than 60 years after Pei made his first sketches, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded a contract to a New York architecture firm to create an updated, more sustainable design. At the same time that legislators and activists worldwide call to curb carbon emissions from aviation, the antiquated towers in the U.S. are unable to keep up with the demands of modern air travel, forcing jets to circle longer than necessary and impeding the Department of Transportation's goal for commercial aviation to go net-zero by 2050.

The FAA calls the air traffic rehab a "once in a generation opportunity" and says that the new towers designed by Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) of New York will allow smaller airports to handle more flights more sustainably and more affordably. Criteria stipulated that the design be repeatable, modifiable and aesthetically pleasing, as well as economical and rapidly constructible.

PAU says its design for the new generation of air traffic control towers features "a composition of visually interesting geometries and exposed beams and columns." The design will use high-recycled steel, renewable mass timber and other sustainable, thermally-efficient materials when possible.

Vishaan Chakrabarti, PAU's founder and creative director, told Robb Report that the aesthetic will be reminiscent of "function-driven architecture" such as the design of water towers, lighthouses, and, yes, R2-D2. The firm refers to the prototype for the new towers as F4, short for "form follows function with flair."

"When Pei won this competition in 1962, he said that everything in the design was driven by function, and our design shares this philosophy but for a new era with new demands," Chakrabarti said. "Back in Pei's day, the program for these towers was much smaller—today's towers now require mechanical equipment at the base, and there are sustainability needs and new technologies at play."

The towers, which will be used primarily at municipal and smaller airports, will be "standardized yet highly flexible, allowing for customizable colors and materials to meet the needs and reflect the local identities of their respective sites," according to the firm.

The FAA said it is targeting 31 control towers for the first round of construction, including airports in Detroit, Philadelphia and Fort Myers, Florida. The first groundbreaking could take place as soon as next year.

The agency has earmarked more than $500 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for site evaluation, preparation, and early construction activities. Overall, more than 100 airports nationwide may see upgrades.

PAU's prototype allows for the control towers to be tailored to the local environment across a range of seismic and climate zones, factoring in extreme temperatures, as well as especially windy, wet or dry conditions. The height of the towers, which will range from 63 to 119 feet, will depend upon each airport's traffic and sightline requirements.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that the new tower design will support more travelers, grow the airports’ local economies and prepare the country for the future of low-carbon aviation. "These new air traffic control towers will mean that smaller airports can handle more flights, more sustainably and more affordably," Buttigieg said.