Moment Vault, located in the Palm Court at the center of the airside terminal, is designed for immersive interactive experiences supported by digital capture and state-of-the-art 3D motion-tracking sensors/cameras.
“For Orlando International Airport’s new Terminal C, we brought together a dedicated team with diverse technical skills to design and execute installations that can live indefinitely in a transient environment within and specific to the architecture. Producing interactivity at this scale is ambitious and requires a large amount of effort and attention to detail, but the process itself was magical. From swimming with the manatees to observing NASA launches, filming the documentary-style live action scenes was a one-of-a-kind experience.” – Thibaut Duverneix, Founder and CEO of Gentilhomme, Orlando EME Creative Director.
Windows on Orlando comprises a triptych of 32-feet-tall displays spanning 114 feet with panoramic views into live action scenes, creating a visual illusion of unfolding points of interest outside the terminal.
Public art media provides thought-provoking moments that transform one's relationship to the spaces they navigate, celebrating the inherent benefits of experiencing art in everyday life. Through interactivity, the project enables passersby to connect not only with their physical environment, but to also explore the history and culture of the area that surrounds them.
The world’s seventh-busiest airport in 2021, Orlando International Airport (MCO) currently accommodates over 45 million annual passengers. The new Terminal C, at 1.8-million sq ft, is anticipated to receive an additional 10 to 12 million travelers a year.
The airlines servicing Terminal C include, Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus, Brazil’s Azul, British Airways, Caribbean Airlines, Emirates Airline, GOL, Icelandair, Lufthansa, Norwegian low-cost, long haul carrier Norse Atlantic Airways, and the anchor airline is New York-based JetBlue. Pictured: First flight to arrive, opening the terminal, was Aer Lingus flight 35, arriving from Manchester, England.
Orlando International Airport (MCO) opened a new terminal in September 2022, which offers travelers a unique multimedia experience created by Gentilhomme Studio with Sardi Design. Terminal C reveals impressive digital canvases within distinct architectural structures: the Moment Vault, Windows on Orlando and the future Portal.
Each installation has its own experiential identity reflecting the surrounding landscape and hosts hours of custom-created content that celebrates the beauty and transformative development of Central Florida, one of the world’s richest ecosystems. This is a first of its kind for a digital public art installation in the aviation space. Hours of live action, original sound composition, CGI and interactive custom content will tower within 114-feet wide displays across 3,888 sq ft of custom LED panels.
The $2.8 billion Terminal C features 15 additional gates to increase MCO passenger capacity by 25% or 10-12 million annual passengers.
All photos are courtesy of Orlando International Airport.
Linda Blachly is Senior Associate Editor for Air Transport World and Aviation Week. She joined the company in July 2010 and is responsible for producing features for Air Transport World’s monthly magazine and engaging content for the aviationweek.com. She is based in the Washington DC office.