TCIAA Appoints luis vidal + architects as Design Consultant for New Arrivals Hall (Terminal B) at Howard Hamilton International Airport

The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) is pleased to announce the appointment of the international architecture practice luis vidal + architects to provide consultancy services for the design and development of a new Arrivals Hall – Terminal B – at Howard Hamilton International Airport (HHIA) in Providenciales. luis vidal + architects was appointed following an open competitive tender process conducted through the Invitation to Tender for Consultancy Services for Arrivals Hall Design and Development (Tender Reference TR 25/27; Contract No. TCIAA 02/2025).

Terminal B is an immediate response to the capacity constraints currently being experienced at HHIA. Where TCIAA describes the facility as interim, that term refers to its role in the sequencing of the wider redevelopment programme and not to the quality or durability of the building. Terminal B is a distinct facility from the proposed new passenger terminal contemplated under that programme; it is intended to relieve pressure on the existing terminal while the wider programme advances.

Under the plan, Border Clearance operations will migrate to a temporary, larger space able to comfortably accommodate arriving passengers and to provide baggage claim facilities. The space this frees within the existing terminal will then be temporarily reconfigured to provide additional departure capacity – improving the experience for both arriving and departing passengers while the airport’s long-term transformation is delivered.

The interim works form part of a broader vision for HHIA. The wider programme contemplates a complete redevelopment of HHIA, including a proposed new passenger terminal – a separate facility from Terminal B – designed to accommodate approximately 2.5 million passengers annually, together with the addition of a parallel taxiway. The Business Case supporting TCIAA’s further development of these proposals has recently been approved. Approval of the Business Case does not of itself constitute approval of funding or of construction, which remain subject to further approvals and to separate procurement.

“Our passengers and our teams are feeling the effects of an airport operating well beyond the capacity it was designed for,” said Hon. Arlington Musgrove, Minister with responsibility for the TCIAA. “Terminal B is a deliberate, immediate step to ease that pressure now – creating dignified space for arrivals and baggage claim and freeing up room for departures – even as we press ahead with the full redevelopment the Turks and Caicos Islands deserves. In luis vidal + architects we have partners with the international airport expertise and design discipline to help us deliver this interim solution quickly and to a high standard”.

“The purpose of architecture is to improve people’s lives. At Howard Hamilton International Airport, our ambition is to create an arrivals facility that combines flexibility, operational excellence and a strong sense of place. As the first experience visitors have of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Terminal B should provide a welcoming and memorable first impression while expressing the unique identity and character of the destination”, said Oscar Torrejón, Partner in charge of luis vidal + architects.

With more than 20 years of experience, luis vidal + architects is an international architecture practice with a team of over 180 professionals working across Europe, the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. The practice has completed the design of over 30 airports (currently built or underway to being built), and worked on another 70+ airport projects worldwide.

Its international aviation portfolio includes Heathrow Terminal 2 in London, recognised by Skytrax as the World’s Best Airport Terminal, the award-winning Terminal E at Boston Logan International Airport, the new terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport, and major projects at Madrid-Barajas and Santiago de Chile. Luis vidal + architects has also completed the first phase of the future Phase B of The New Terminal One at JFK International Airport in New York.

More recently, luis vidal + architects was selected, alongside Dutch based practise ZJA, as the architects to redevelop and transform the large-scale renewal of Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. The commission covers three of the airport’s four principal areas, including Schiphol Plaza, all landside and airside lounges, piers, gates and passenger flow areas, as well as all landside passenger facilities including carparks and stations.

In the United States, the practice is also working on the expansion of Pensacola International Airport and continues to strengthen its presence through recently awarded regional airport projects. Its US aviation experience also includes Boston Logan, Pittsburgh, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver International, Victoria, and Cyril E. King International Airport in the US Virgin Islands, as well as the Colorado Air and Space Port in Denver.

The practice also brings extensive knowledge of the Caribbean and its particular climatic, operational and cultural context. In the Dominican Republic, it is leading major airport projects at Cibao International Airport (Santiago de los Caballeros) and Las Américas International Airport at Santo Domingo, combining international expertise with a strong understanding of the region and its passenger profile, further strengthening the practice’s long-standing presence across the Caribbean.

Across all its aviation projects, luis vidal + architects combine passenger-centred design, operational efficiency, flexibility and a strong sense of place. This approach will guide the development of Terminal B, delivering an efficient operational solution while giving arriving passengers an immediate sense of where they have landed.

Consultancy services for the design and development of the Arrivals Hall commence this week, and the project forms one part of a national multi-infrastructure development programme. The construction works for Terminal B will be procured separately in due course in accordance with applicable procurement requirements. TCIAA will provide further details on programme, phasing and passenger impacts as the Terminal B – Arrivals Hall project progresses.