The horse racing heritage, local architecture, and natural beauty of Saratoga, New York, provided design inspiration for a new 40,000 SF General Aviation terminal which serves as a vibrant gateway to the County.

Victorian-era porches and the lodge architecture of the nearby Adirondack mountains inspired the building’s form and materials to create a contemporary yet familiar presence. A wrap-around porch, timber columns, slate wall cladding, and ashlar slate base grounds the building in its regional context by using historically relevant and locally sourced materials to reinforce a sense of place.

Visitors are welcomed into a light-filled lobby anchored by a custom carpet shaped like Saratoga Lake. The spacious lobby features locally inspired wall graphics, with space to display art and historic items such as antique cars from the Saratoga Automobile Museum. A grand staircase leads to a second-floor multi-media community meeting space and a dining area with views to the newly rehabilitated and expanded apron, while a balcony and courtyard further connect interior spaces to the site. The terminal includes two spacious passenger waiting areas, concessionaire tenant spaces that open onto the landscaped courtyard, a restaurant, rental car lease space, pilots’ room with weather information access station, and connected 20,000 SF hangar.

Exterior improvements include a redeveloped entrance corridor, circular drive framed by gardens that feature a bronze horseracing sculpture, and airfield updates to accommodate larger aircraft and increased enplanements. The landscape features a new park-like garden space with a fountain, lit pathways and seating, available to the public year-round. Sustainability features include a 194-kilowatt solar array and 24 geothermal wells supplying on-site renewable energy for heating, cooling, and electricity.

Funded in part by New York State’s Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition, the building serves as a catalyst for tourism, business growth, and regional pride.