Ruth Haines
St. Louis Lambert International Airport, commonly referred to as Lambert Field or simply Lambert, is the largest and busiest airport in Missouri. The airport is named after Albert Bond Lambert, an Olympic medalist and prominent St. Louis aviator. In the 1950s, Minoru Yamasaki was commissioned to design a new terminal to handle the increasing passenger traffic. Yamasaki's design, with its aerodynamic lines and low-slung arches, captured the glamour of jet travel during that era. The terminal, completed in 1956, became an iconic landmark and set a new standard for airport design, influencing the architecture of subsequent terminals at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | St. Louis Lambert International Airport |
| Other Names | Lambert Field, Lambert |
| Location | 14 miles (23 km) northwest of downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Size | 3,793 acres (1,535 ha) |
| Year of Establishment | 1909 |
| Year of Official Opening | 1920 |
| Founding Organisations | Aero Club of St. Louis, Missouri Aeronautical Society |
| Founding Figures | Albert Bond Lambert, Wright brothers, Theodore Roosevelt |
| Terminal Designer | Minoru Yamasaki |
| Terminal Co-designer | Gyo Obata |
| Terminal Style | Midcentury, aerodynamic, cavernous assembly hall with vaulted ceilings |
| Terminal Features | Three domed sections (fourth added in 1965) |
| Terminal Cost | $7.2 million |
| Terminal Completion Year | 1956 |
| Terminal Renovation Firm | HOK |
| Renovation Cost | Multi-billion dollars |
| Renovation Completion Year | 2031 |
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What You'll Learn
Minoru Yamasaki was the original architect
Yamasaki's design was a departure from the typical "flat-roofed little boxes" of airport terminals at the time. Instead, his creation captured the glamour of jet travel with its aerodynamic lines and low-slung arches that celebrated the idea of flight. The interior, with its vaulted ceilings, echoed the look of railroad terminals like New York's Grand Central Station.
Architectural historian Michael Allen has described the terminal as "a landmark that really set the standard." Allen also notes that Yamasaki's design was pivotal in changing the visual vocabulary of airports. Gyo Obata, a promising young architect, assisted Yamasaki with his designs for the airport. The project earned both men widespread acclaim and helped create the firm we know today as HOK.
While the airport has undergone various expansions and renovations, including the addition of Concourse D in 1982, Yamasaki's original design remains iconic. The domed arches of the present-day Terminal 1 are set to be retained in the airport's ongoing multi-billion-dollar renovation by the St. Louis-based firm HOK.
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The terminal was completed in 1956
The terminal at St. Louis Lambert International Airport was completed in 1956. Designed by architect Minoru Yamasaki, it was his first major commission. The terminal featured a series of low-slung arches and aerodynamic lines that celebrated the idea of flight. The interior, a cavernous assembly hall with vaulted ceilings, echoed the design of railroad terminals such as New York's Grand Central Station. Yamasaki's design set a new standard for airport terminals, which, prior to this, had been described as "flat-roofed little boxes".
The terminal was built to handle increasing passenger traffic, at a total cost of $7.2 million. It featured three domes, with a fourth added in 1965 following the passage of a $200 million airport revenue bond. The terminal's design preceded those at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., and Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Architectural historian Michael Allen has described the terminal as "a landmark that really set the standard". Allen also notes that the terminal was pivotal in changing the visual vocabulary of airports, capturing the glamour of jet travel during that era.
In recent years, the airport has undergone a multi-billion-dollar overhaul, with St. Louis-based design firm HOK leading the project. HOK has a long history with the airport, with an earlier incarnation of the firm recruiting renowned architect Minoru Yamasaki to design the terminal in the 1950s. HOK's redesign will consolidate the two existing terminals, transforming the airport into a bigger single-terminal layout with up to 62 gates.
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The terminal's design celebrated the glamour of jet travel
St. Louis Lambert International Airport, commonly referred to as Lambert Field or simply Lambert, is the largest and busiest airport in the state of Missouri. The airport is named after Albert Bond Lambert, an Olympic medalist and prominent St. Louis aviator. In 1920, Lambert, along with the Missouri Aeronautical Society, opened the St. Louis Flying Field in North County. The airport became the first with an air traffic control system in the late 1920s.
In the 1950s, to handle increasing passenger traffic, architect Minoru Yamasaki was commissioned to design a new terminal. Completed in 1956, the terminal's design celebrated the glamour of jet travel, featuring aerodynamic lines and a series of low-slung arches that capture the idea of flight. The cavernous assembly hall with vaulted ceilings echoed the look of railroad terminals like New York's Grand Central Station. Yamasaki's design set a new standard for airport terminals, which until then were often described as utilitarian holding pens for passengers.
The original terminal building had three vaulted sections, each 120 feet square and 32 feet tall. A fourth dome was added in 1965 following the passage of a $200 million airport revenue bond. The airport has continued to expand over the years, with additional concourses and gates added to accommodate increasing passenger traffic. In the 1970s, Lambert received a $290 million expansion that lengthened the runways, increased the number of gates, and boosted its capacity.
The airport's design has had a significant impact on aviation architecture. Architectural historian Michael Allen notes that the terminals at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport, and Paris' Charles De Gaulle Airport were all inspired by Lambert's sweeping mid-century style. Today, Lambert Airport is undergoing another major redesign, led by the St. Louis-based design firm HOK, which aims to transform the airport into a bigger single-terminal layout with modern amenities and improved efficiency.
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HOK will lead the design of the renovated airport
St. Louis Lambert International Airport, commonly referred to as Lambert Field or simply Lambert, is the largest and busiest airport in Missouri. The airport is named after Albert Bond Lambert, an Olympic medallist and prominent St. Louis aviator. The airport first opened in 1920 as St. Louis Flying Field, with Lambert purchasing the land outright in 1925.
In 1950, Ozark Air Lines began operations at the airport, and to handle the increasing passenger traffic, Minoru Yamasaki was commissioned to design a new terminal. The terminal was completed in 1956 and featured a three-domed design that preceded terminals at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport. Yamasaki's design captured the glamour of jet travel with its aerodynamic lines and low-slung arches.
Now, St. Louis-based design firm HOK has been chosen to lead the design of the renovated airport. HOK has a long history in the region and at Lambert, dating back to 1951 when an earlier incarnation of the firm recruited architect Gyo Obata to assist Yamasaki with his designs for the airport's new terminal. The project earned both men widespread acclaim and helped create the firm we know today.
HOK's recent work on LaGuardia Airport and Salt Lake City International Airport will inform its approach to the Lambert project. The firm's expertise in managing ambitious projects while maintaining operations in existing terminals will be crucial to the success of the Lambert renovation. The project calls for the consolidation of the two existing terminals at Lambert into a bigger single-terminal layout with up to 62 gates, adding a new concourse, and improving efficiency to meet the growing demand for air travel.
HOK will spend around a year and a half drafting designs before construction kicks off in mid-to-late 2026, with completion projected for 2031. The firm will lead a team of local experts, including EXP, David Mason + Associates, Arcturis, Trivers, and The Lawrence Group, to bring the ambitious project to fruition.
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The airport's redesign will meet growing demand for air travel
St. Louis Lambert International Airport, commonly referred to as Lambert Field or simply Lambert, is the largest and busiest airport in Missouri. The airport is located 14 miles (23 km) northwest of downtown St. Louis and covers 3,793 acres (1,535 ha) of land. In 2024, it served nearly 16 million passengers to over 80 nonstop domestic and international destinations.
The airport has a rich history, dating back to 1909 when the Aero Club of St. Louis established a balloon launching base called the "Permanent Aviation Field and Dirigible Harbor" in Kinloch Park. In 1920, Albert Bond Lambert, an Olympic silver medalist golfer and prominent aviator, joined the Missouri Aeronautical Society, and together they opened the St. Louis Flying Field in North County. The field was renamed the "Lambert-St. Louis Flying Field" in 1923, and Lambert added hangars and a passenger terminal. In the late 1920s, the airport became the first to implement an air traffic control system.
As air travel demand increased, the airport underwent significant transformations. In the 1950s, architect Minoru Yamasaki designed a new terminal with a three-domed structure, which was completed in 1956. This iconic design set a new standard for airport architecture and influenced the design of other major airports worldwide.
Today, the airport is undergoing another major redesign to meet the growing demand for air travel. The St. Louis-based design firm HOK has been chosen to lead this multi-billion dollar project. HOK has a strong connection to the airport, as one of its earlier incarnations recruited renowned architect Minoru Yamasaki to design the airport's original terminal. This project will focus on transforming the airport into a bigger single-terminal layout with up to 62 gates, modern amenities, more retail space, and improved efficiency. The construction is projected to begin in mid-to-late 2026, with completion anticipated in 2031.
The redesign of St. Louis Lambert International Airport aims to not only meet the increasing demand for air travel but also to enhance the overall experience for travellers. As Pat Askew, an architect who has designed terminals at many of the world's largest airports, envisions, airports will become "real romantic" places that people will enjoy visiting. With HOK's expertise and history with the airport, the new design is expected to set a new standard for functionality and aesthetics, ensuring positive first impressions for travellers to St. Louis.
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Frequently asked questions
Minoru Yamasaki designed the airport's Terminal 1, which was completed in 1956.
Yamasaki's design was much more in tune with the aircraft aviation age. It featured giant arches and a thin-shell concrete structure, capturing the glamour of jet travel during that era.
The airport was named after Albert Bond Lambert, an Olympic silver medalist golfer in the 1904 Summer Games, president of Lambert Pharmaceutical Corporation, and the first person to receive a pilot's license in St. Louis.
Yamasaki later became the chief architect of the World Trade Center in New York. He also designed the Pruitt-Igoe housing project in St. Louis in the early 1950s.
