COPENHAGEN AIRPORT - PIER C

It's a one-of-a-kind experience. Pier C of Copenhagen Airport creates gentle efficiency by using design and behavioral science. “Nudging” is the name of the method, and it uses interior design to create flow that is logical, comfortable and efficient for guests, with no loud instructions or force needed.

SMOOTH TRAVEL

Schmidt Hammer Lassen designed Pier C to serve non-European, long-haul traffic and make room for the world’s largest passenger airliner – the Airbus A380.

 

On the outside Pier C is dark, but on the inside it’s bright and spacious with runway views and white marble floors. The world-renowned architecture firm chose seven hundred, dark Fritz Hansen Series 7™ chairs and Dot™ stools to create seating with thorough intention. 

Studies show that people travel differently when in groups, alone, for business or for pleasure. With this research in mind, various seating zones have been arranged e.g. comfortable corners for families and high-table workstations with seating for business travellers. Instead of conventional rows of connected chairs, seating follows as Tetris pattern. In rows people normally choose to occupy only every second or third seat. This unique arrangement nudges guests to take full advantage of the entire capacity of the space. 

Experience shows that passengers rarely use those seats placed furthest away from the corridors and at the centre of a space. Pier C seating encourage people to use these areas by covering the chairs in corners with soft textiles. Select Series 7™ chairs within the space have armrests and power stations to draw travellers to underused areas. It´s simple and very efficient.

The design has been tested, and the results were remarkable – a reduction of delay between gates and departure more than 100%. The terminal design also includes silent screens calling people to flights by name and large flags to mark check-in counters. No loudspeakers interfere with the experience. 

Schmidt Hammer Lassen architect, Nanna Wohlfeldt, explains that ‘quality and comfort show guests how welcome they are’. 

In 2019, Copenhagen Airport was named the most efficient airport in Europe by the independent Air Transport Research Society (ATRS) for the fourteenth time.