Departure in Style

When Lufthansa German Airlines decided to renovate its home terminal at the Frankfurt airport in 1996, styling got top billing. But the army of passengers marching through each day made maintenance and repair almost as important.

“The terminal had a drab look, with traditional check-in counters,” said Jeannette Schwarz, spokeswoman for frogdesign, a worldwide design firm whose Sunnyvale office handled the project. “Lufthansa wanted to return some sense of the romance of flying, to get away from the ‘cattle car’ approach of Southwest Airlines.”

Hard edges and corners were rounded through the use of aerodynamic shapes. Playful signage helped direct passengers, and brighter colors were incorporated in lounges, check-in counters and hallways.

Traditional check-in counters gave way to alternating convex and concave stations that are designed to make the boarding process more inviting. Workstations were redesigned to trim the time it takes to check passengers in.

In lounge areas, long rows of chairs gave way to comfortable furniture arranged to make conversation easier.

Brushed stainless steel was used in areas with heavy foot traffic. Corion was used on counter tops, and decorative panels pop out for quick replacement.

The Industrial Designers Society of America recently described frogdesign’s work as a “warm but functional design that distinguishes Lufthansa’s home airport.”