Dublin Airport’s Terminal 1 to have ‘major facelift’

Under the new plans that have been lodged with Fingal County Council, Dublin Airport’s Terminal 1 will receive a ‘major facelift’.

DAA, the semi-state company that operates the airport, wants to replace the core facade and roof of the terminal with a new ‘modern, energy efficient structure’ that will transform its appearance.

The existing concrete fins are degrading. This will be replaced by a combination of glass and solid panels if the plans are approved.

Plans were submitted following major upgrades to Terminal 1’s arrival and departure areas in recent years, with both areas reconfigured to let in more natural light and new floors and lighting being installed.

Dublin Airport managing director Vincent Harrison said that the Terminal 1 has been at the heart of Dublin Airport since 1972 and this programme is to ensure that it will remain so for the decades to come.

Mr Harrison added that DAA was taking a ‘long-term prudent view’ in relation to the management of the airport with the Terminal 1 plans despite the collapse in passenger traffic since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other earmarked changes include the redesign of Terminal 1’s northern and southern sides to include ‘significantly more glazing’, and the renovation will improve the building’s BER rating of F to B3. The terminal’s new façade exceeds current energy guidelines by 25%.

As part of the planned works, the roof of Terminal 1 will be insulated to the highest standards, thus significantly reducing heat loss from the building. He has also assured that this project aims at sustainability  and will have a positive impact on the overall energy consumption levels for Terminal 1.

Panning permission is also being sought to revamp the top two floors of T1, which were designed as a multi-storey car park but which are currently used for offices, plant rooms and some staff parking.

Remedial works will be undertaken on the concrete spiral ramps adjacent to T1, but they will be retained in their current form, DAA said. More than 20m passengers used Terminal 1 last year.

The Brutalist building was constructed at a cost of £7m and effectively replaced Dublin Airport’s original 1940s terminal when it opened in 1972.