San Diego International Airport has unveiled a striking architectural feature as part of its new Terminal 1 — a sweeping curved glass façade called the “Luminous Wave Wall” (LWW). The £3.8 billion redevelopment, inaugurated on 23 September 2025, replaces a 58-year-old terminal and is designed to improve efficiency, comfort, and accessibility.
The façade is composed of 537 curved, fritted glass panels that filter natural daylight into the ticketing and baggage halls, reducing glare and heat while maintaining visibility of signage and screens.
The project was a collaborative effort involving architects, engineers, contractors, artists, and façade specialists. Among the contributors were Gensler, Turner-Flatiron JV, Studio James Carpenter, Walter P. Moore, Starq Design, Enclos, NorthGlass, Long Glazing, and Interpane.
The design emerged from an early integration of architecture and art, ensuring that natural light was carefully balanced with visual comfort for staff and passengers. Structurally, the wall uses concave insulating glass units fixed into aluminium cassettes, which are suspended from slender steel fins that serve as both support and shading devices.
Each glass unit consists of a laminated outer pane and a smaller inner pane, all bent to a radius of 5 ft 6 in and set on a 5 ft 4 in module. A vertical frit pattern runs across the façade, transitioning from dense at the base to nearly clear at the top, creating a gentle gradient that softens harsh sunlight.
Observers have described the effect as resembling a curtain being drawn upwards, with the glass gradually opening to the light above.
Despite the challenges of supply chains and coordination during the pandemic, the team successfully delivered what is now considered one of the most ambitious curved glass walls ever attempted in a public building.
Phase two of the airport’s redevelopment is scheduled to begin in October 2025 and is expected to continue into early 2028.
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