Story

The Capital One Lounge in Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) is the first fully commercial lounge in any airport in the state of Virginia because all other lounges are airline owned/managed. Additionally, because it is not a restaurant, it did not fit into any of the Virginia Alcohol and Beverage Control (VABC) categories and required political lobbying in order to make a category for this lounge. Since publicly accessible space is at a premium at IAD and there was no space in any of the concourses for a new lounge, the airport allocated an unused space, which was originally a lounge space back in 1962, at the base of the old FAA tower that has been vacant for 15+ years. Planning, designing, and building the lounge encountered several challenges including how to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The lounge was set up with stair access only and was at a lower level from the rest of the terminal by 2 feet, requiring the design to account for the difference in elevation and installation of ADA ramps throughout the space. The FAA tower also has a large concrete core as its main structural support, with stair and elevator shafts that had to be worked around. The designer took one of the elevators that was already out of service and converted it into a walk-in refrigerator, while the central core was turned into a kitchen, and the open areas with large windows were maximized for passenger viewing. Other challenges included bringing ventilation up to code. Since the tower is classified as a historical landmark, the State Historical Preservation Organization (SHPO) would not allow grease vents or air handling units on the roof of the structure and therefore the only way to exhaust air was by using horizontal fans with louvers on the exterior of the building. The lounge space opens with a bright entrance and glass curtain wall, with seating to the west as you move to a higher and more inviting open area on your way to the bar and buffet. On the east side, there is a full coffee bar with a barista, 4 unisex restrooms, and a parents room along with a more secluded library area. The finishes are a variety of teak laminate wood covered walls, dark blue tile walls, large format tile floors, and carpet on the raised floor for the bar and library. The ceilings are a combination of teak wood and large format ceiling tiles by Decoustics, in a bright white butterfly pattern. To make the space more comfortable, especially when the sun is low, the exterior glass is outfitted with smart film that can be electronically controlled to become opaque and significantly reduce the glare and intensity of the sunlight. Lastly the furniture selected was reminiscent of mid-century modern styling, which was the design of the original lounge and even included some of the furniture from the original designer of the airport Saarinen(designer) and Bertoia (artist).