I decided to visit The Airport as part of my public space research. I choose this location due to its importance and the activity it receives on a daily basis.
Even though it is one of the smallest airports in the world, it is quite a huge building for Malta's standards. The space is vast, having not only areas to cater for the actual airport services but also hosts a verity of sub sections occupied by shops of all types, particularly well known franchises.
The airport uses artificial lights throughout the the inner sections of the areas we visited, There were a wide range of lighting types and strengths together creating a bright and lively ambiance. On the other hand natural light is utilized around the facade of the building. The entire width of the airport's facade is covered with glass allowing light to endlessly seep in reducing the need of artificial lights during the day. Lights ranged from circular spotlights to long thin tubes layered across the ceiling. One other thing that may have boosted the amount of light, is the surfaces of practically everything. The floors were an extremely reflective material in most parts of the airport, apart from the food court which was rather dull. There was also a lot of stainless steel present which further reflected light. Some places where a little darker such as the corridors leading from one open space to another or a corridor which was high above the floor level which I assume to be accessible by the staff. Further enhancements of light an colour were provided by the endless signage and shop fronts all wanting to display their message across to the people. (Side note - The lights created some interesting patterns on the floors)
For such a huge space It was relativity quite, only hearing the muffled sounds of people talking. This may be due to the time we went which was about 4:30pm. The food court had some music, loud enough to hear and still being able to hold a conversation between peers. The only down side was the songs we heard one to many times. There was also a television with some iconic cartoons playing, this was quite annoying as it was muted, the same setup was at Mater Dei hospital. I personally get quite irritated by this as iI am not that versed in lip reading.
Signage had a massive role in the airports navigability and in turn communicating relevant messages which would aid in accessibility to those who require it. There were signs for everything, maps displaying the layout of the airport, infographics displaying how to use certain machinery and the mandatory location names. Even the toilet cubicles were numbered. Apart from all that,there were the generic warning sines in red and escape locations in blue. These weren't all printed some were displayed on screens, I would assume this would allow for easier change especially when they are prone to change. If you wanted to get somewhere, all you would have to do is look around and you are sure to find something to point you in the right direction. As for accessibility, elevators, escalators and stairs where present allowing people of any special requirement to access all areas available to the public.(Note - Typography was clear and readable everywhere it was used)
Health and safety is a prime factor and the airport must cater for such, fire extinguishers and emergency exits where all placed in strategic locations allowing easy access in case of emergency. Also as a cleanliness factor the rubbishes were very neat and tidy though sparse at times. One of the most over seen elements I seem to find in public places.
Another interesting thing that I found was actually in the men's restrooms. There was an interactive survey displaying 3 options of how you found the restroom's services. A quick tap inputs your answer and refreshes the machine. It also displays the time the last cleaning had been taken place.
There were other shop specific displays which could be implemented in our exhibition, such as displayed adds, window stickers and wall coverings. These added a little more life in certain places whilst also displaying and glorifying products. Another setup display was the Toyota aygo set in its own space to allow full 360 view and admiration.
