Big Bird's Nest
Sat. 13th Jan., 2001

Newcastle's Airport is not actually in Newcastle. It is not even in the same county! It is situated about 8 km (5 miles) from the city centre in nearby Northumberland.

Like a lot of aerodromes, this one grew from a patch of grass and a tin hut in 1932. The present buildings date from 1964, with modern additions. They replaced a series of utilitarian prefabricated wooden structures akin to an Army field hospital.

The modern 1960s structure was strictly in keeping with other airport terminal buildings of the time. The rectangular steel frame was filled out with glass panels, and brick sections faced with white tiles, some giant ones seen here.

The design was by Yorke, Rosenberg and Mardall and followed the rectangular fashion of the day with the  wipe clean modernity of that fitted kitchen to which every "housewife" of the sixties aspired.

Until the early 1960s air travel was for the rich and famous. With the advent of the package tour to Spain ordinary people used planes for the first time.

These administration buildings and control tower are untouched original as finished in 1967. The main terminal building received some tinkering since completion, but stood broadly as built until the major additions of the 1990s onwards.

With financial assistance from the European Development Fund, the Tyneside Metro was finally extended the 2.3 km (1½ miles) from Kenton Bank Foot to the Airport in 1991.

It seemed to us that those two and one third kilometres along disused rail track were a journey to the moon. There were endless talks, meetings, promises, and deadlines that came and went before the EC stepped in.

The optimistic slicing and burrowing of Newcastle and conversion of over 80 km of existing track during the 1970s when the system was built had evaporated. Tory Thatcher's Britain did not allow public service projects to flourish, indeed she did her utmost to destroy the good work of previous decades.

In 1985 a massive triangular glass box was added to the front of the existing building. The porch was extended and the arrival parking zone slightly altered. This work was designed by Couves Limited and catered for an expansion in the checking in facilities.

The vogue for triangles, contrasting with the rectangles of the 1960s, and the use of tubular steel covered in reflective darkened glass is reminiscent of the Louvre extension in Paris and faintly suggestive of the Pyramids of Ghiza.

As an extension to the Terminal floor space it is a failure, and it is strangely gloomy inside. I feel that the glass is too heavily tinted.

The new Terminal building is a large space; watch for future mezzanines. It is airy and light. It was built by Mc.Alpines as a 1/1000th section of Stanstead Airport building but without the fancy roof.

The restaurants, waiting areas, security and customs halls are all in the original building, some baggage handling exists at the rear of the new section, but it is a little sparse as yet.

The next major plan is to build another runway, so I expect that this new space will see some changes to accommodate this expansion.

The business of the Airport was light today. Some flights to ski resorts, domestic departures to London and Aberdeen, and a sprinkling of European destinations were on offer.

The place seemed empty and under used, but during the busy summer months it swarms with customers.

Here a lone traveller reports for the Amsterdam flight.

The main concourse of the original building has check-in areas on the ground floor, with waiting and restaurant areas above. This atrium is necessary, not just for the advertising opportunity, but also to dispel a little of the gloomy aspect that would otherwise have pervaded this upper section.

To the right of this shot, on the upper level is a service section, restaurant, shop and bar overlooking the runway and taxi area.

A sheltered balcony is provided for tearful farewells and anorak plane spotters.

The original entrance was directly below here, beneath that massive pipe. The new triangular glass box was stuck on here, supported by the network of smaller triangles.

The internal tubes and flimsy factory lighting tracks give this extension an unfinished and temporary air.

We are not used to seeing the supporting structure and service conduits of buildings. These aspects are usually hidden away and fake pillars, stone floors, and partitions give a familiar solidity.

We only expect to see this sort of exposed building underwear in industrial spaces and frightening fairground rides.

This new staircase is light due to the use of less opaque glass in the end section. It is extremely rectangular and does not fit the new triangular space. Surely a more elegant and innovative solution could have been designed here!

The earlier addition of the glass tunnel leading to the Metro Station is just visible joining what was once the corner of the building.

The story of the Airport has been one of a small provincial operation, catapulted into regional status during the 1960s and added to piecemeal since. With the advent of a new second runway and traffic for more long-haul flights it may genuinely earn the name "International" so earnestly desired by the Airport Authority.