Jaynes Millwork At The Albuquerque International Sunport

REFURBISHING “TOTALLY NEW MEXICO” BENCHES AT THE ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL SUNPORT

You’re at the airport, waiting for your flight, and sit down near the gate. At almost every airport in the world, you’ll sit on generic airport bench seating. Row after row of black upholstered and aluminum-framed benches. A universal travel experience.

But there are variations on this seating arrangement everywhere—some with a higher level of design than others. A common but classic modern style of airport seating is from famous industrial designers Charles and Ray Eames, with their iconic airport sling benches designed for Chicago’s O’Hare International.

But choosing a simple bench that’s unique, well-designed, and matches a region’s spirit is not common. Whether they’re called aviation interior designers, airport interior designers, or architects and interior designers specializing in aviation environments, these creatives are tasked with matching interior design aesthetics to the characteristics of an airport’s geographical region. They blend local culture, materials, art, and environmental cues into a cohesive, functional passenger experience. This process is both creative and vital to help lessen the stress of modern travel.

The Albuquerque International Sunport’s approach to interior design is no different. The Sunport is known for its Southwestern architecture. New Mexico’s largest commercial airport, welcoming over 5 million passengers annually, the Sunport also boasts an extensive art collection with rotating exhibits, many restaurants that promote New Mexican cuisine, and shops that offer local artisanal gifts. Possibly the interior design of the Sunport is why Yelp reviewers hold it in high esteem,  giving it 4 out of 5 stars. That’s higher than Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 3.3 stars and considerably higher than Aéroport de Paris Charles de Gaulle in Paris at 2.7 stars.

Jaynes Millwork has been hard at work on an artisanal project at the Sunport. The job is the restoration of 700 of the Sunport’s iconic and beloved Pueblo Revival-style benches and chairs.

The Washington Post recently ranked the Sunport as number 7 (subscription required) on the list of their “Best Airports In America, Ranked.” These iconic benches, and their significance to the airport, even merit a note in their review: “Take a moment in the Great Hall after check-in to soak in the vibe on one of the airport’s wood-and-leather chairs or benches. It’s “totally New Mexico,” as one reader put it. Look up and take in the ceiling’s decorated wood beams, or vigas. Check out the Cavalcade of Wings’s more than 900 aircraft models before going through TSA.”

THE ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL SUNPORT: AN AIRPORT AND A DESTINATION MUSEUM

The Sunport isn’t just a transit space—it’s an art destination. Its extensive art collection is notable for being one of the most significant public art collections housed in an airport in the United States. It reflects New Mexico’s rich cultural heritage, blending Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo influences.

Especially striking are the intricate airplane and aerospace models, suspended overhead from the terminal’s high ceilings like a floating museum. The collection reflects New Mexico’s long relationship with flight and aerospace.

One unique example of art displayed at the Sunport is New Mexican sculptor Lincoln Fox’s “Dream of Flight.” The 17-foot-tall bronze of a Native American figure is prominent in the main terminal of the Sunport.

Jaynes Corporation is proud to be involved in the Sunport’s extensive terminal renovations, particularly in the restoration of the terminal benches by our architectural millwork artisans. As part of the ongoing Dream of Flight renovations, one of the multiple large-scale projects Jaynes’ teams are working on for the Owner, the City of Albuquerque, is the restoration of approximately 700 of the Sunport’s iconic furniture.

The hand-crafted wood and leather benches evoke New Mexico’s heritage and rugged Southwestern style. The benches have a debated origin story, but local historians date the basic design to the late 1930s, from benches and seating at the Albuquerque Municipal Airport, which evolved into the Albuquerque International Sunport. The original airport design was Pueblo Revival, mirroring an authentic regional style influencing the Sunport’s appearance today. These benches carry the legacy of that original Pueblo Revival aesthetic from the 1930s to today.

Most of the benches the Jaynes Millwork team is restoring are from the 1970s, as decades of wear and tear took their toll. But the longevity and sturdiness of the handcrafted benches are a testament to their stout and timeless design, which uses traditional natural materials to evoke regional aesthetics.

Andrew Sisneros, Director of Millwork Operations at Jaynes, mentions that handcrafted pieces “… could not even be produced economically today. The craftsmanship in them is amazing. The sturdy oak frames last 50-60 years before showing their age. That’s incredible. I also think the restoration is the result of the artistic vision of the Sunport managers. Restoring these benches keeps the nature of the Sunport in place and employs local craftspeople. It’s sustainable to restore rather than purchase ordinary, bland seating. The benches help maintain the Sunport’s unique Southwest vibe.” Andrew discusses some of the interesting aspects of the restoration process at scale that Jaynes undertook in this video.

As sturdy as the benches are, the oak frames and leather upholstery suffer from inevitable fatigue. The leather cracked and stretched, and the wood frames strained from use by millions of travelers. So, Jaynes Millwork was called in to implement the restoration, helping the terminals retain their iconic look.

It’s striking that airport seating can have a devoted fan base, but these benches do. Local television station KRQE even did a story on the beloved benches, quoting Leah Black, outreach and marketing manager for the Sunport, that the benches are “… part of our culture, part of our tradition, and part of the heritage of Sunport.”

Ultimately, this project aims to preserve the Sunport’s warm, welcoming atmosphere while modernizing comfort and functionality.

To learn more about how Jaynes Millwork works with General Contractors all over the Southwest on demanding projects like the Sunport restoration, visit the Jaynes Millwork project spotlight.