San Diego International Airport officially opened its renovated Terminal 1 on September 23, 2025, completing a $3.8 billion transformation aimed at improving efficiency, accessibility, and passenger comfort. The terminal’s centerpiece is the Luminous Wave Wall (LWW), an 800-foot-long curved glass façade that illuminates the ticketing and baggage claim areas with natural light while reducing glare on monitors and wayfinding signage.
The LWW is composed of 537 concave, fritted glass panels, each with a half-inch laminated outer lite and a quarter-inch inner lite, curved to a constant radius of 5 feet 6 inches and arranged in modules of 5 by 4 feet. Produced overseas by NorthGlass, the panels were shop-glazed into small aluminum cassettes and field-hung onto steel fins, which serve both as structural support and shading devices. A graduated vertical frit pattern, ranging from 80% opacity to zero, mitigates low-angle sunlight while creating a dynamic “curtain-like” visual effect.
The design was a highly collaborative effort, led by Gensler, with artist James Carpenter integrated from the concept phase. Other key contributors included Turner Flatiron Joint Venture (contractor), Walter P Moore and Starq Design Inc. (façade consultants), and Enclos (curtainwall installer). The LWW draws inspiration from San Diego’s surf zone, capturing the interaction of light and waves in its flowing form.
Despite challenges posed by the pandemic, including international material shipping and complex fabrication, the project stands as a rare example of curved glass innovation in U.S. public architecture. According to Turner Construction, the second phase of Terminal 1’s renovation will begin in October 2025 and continue through early 2028, promising further enhancements to the airport’s functionality and aesthetic appeal. 
Source: USGlassMag with additional information added by Glass Balkan
