This terrazzo artwork transforms the airport floor into a spectacular sky so that the simple act of walking through the space evokes the freedom and speed of flight.

This artwork that we see all around us in the terrazzo floor of the airport transforms the circular central hub of the airport into a spectacular sky so that the simple act of walking through the airport becomes an evocation of the freedom, speed and openness of flight. Space is inverted to play with the idea of defying gravity and to induce a feeling of flying -- a bit like being a kid lying on the ground gazing up into the clouds.

The central element of the design is a vast blue sky with clouds scattered around for visual drama. Crisscrossing this sky are a dozen “flight paths” that connect points all around the circular horizon, unifying and stitching together disparate sites, acting as pathways between locations within the airport, and implying the universal connectivity that is so central to the way the world works today. Along these “flight paths” travelers can discover inlaid silhouettes of various airplanes and other things that fly, such as a satellite, a helicopter, the Wright Brothers’ first airplane, the space shuttle, etc.

Around the horizon, at the intersections of the concourses with the hub and at the food court, five large silhouettes representing five iconic Pittsburgh neighborhoods are featured. These include Downtown seen from the Ohio River; the South Side, including the Smithfield Street Bridge and the Duquesne Incline; Oakland including The Carnegie Museums, Phipps, PITT and CMU; The North Shore, including Heinz Field, PNC Park and the Science Center. The Fifth silhouette is the Carrie Furnace, which serves as a reminder of heavy industry in the city, and as a transition into the topographical map of the Mon Valley that meanders through the area of the food court.

Arriving passengers cross the horizon on the floor as we cross the threshold between the airside terminal and the new landside terminal. Here we step from the sky onto a reflection of the sky, clouds mirrored as if in the surface of the water. The impression of walking on water is enhanced by the architecture of the connector space, with its bridge soaring overhead, and glass walls revealing the landscape on either side.

I hope that all travelers, whether visitors to Pittsburgh or locals, find something to connect with in the imagery. This terrazzo floor gives travelers an opportunity to connect physically with Pittsburgh as a place as well as to continue the sense of moving quickly over great distances, extending the extraordinary experience of air travel. It is an invitation to slow down and contemplate the act of flying – to see it from a fresh angle, making it new and surprising again.