Passenger spending in the terminal: designing spaces for consumption in contemporary Canadian international airports

The contemporary international airport terminal is an architectural space defined by circulation and consumption. These buildings, which are designed to move passengers from the curb to the plane, contain numerous shops, cafes, and restaurants since airports recoup the majority of their costs via passenger spending. Many terminals were remodeled as shopping spaces during the 1980s when airports around the world were privatized. During the 1990s, international airports in Canada were transferred from Transport Canada’s control to local privately managed groups. In this paper, I examine how airports such as Vancouver’s YVR and Toronto Pearson International were remodeled after being privatized and how planners designed their terminals as consumer spaces. I consider how their interiors are designed to direct passengers along routes lined with consumption opportunities and how planners install other cues such as artworks which they believe will stimulate passenger spending. While my paper concentrates on design strategies intended to draw passengers towards or through consumer spaces, it also considers the placement of advertisements in the terminal. For instance, I discuss how architects, who at times disagree with those in charge of the airport’s commerce, try to limit the number and size of ads such that signage and other wayfinding cues are clearly visible. Finally, my analysis will consider how these designs for Canadian air terminals compare with those for terminals at European and Asian airports.