Safe Spaces Field Notes Orlando International Airport – Terminal C Safety Check

Safe Spaces Field Notes
Orlando International Airport – Terminal C Safety Check
I liked how easy it was to breeze through customs and security with all the lanes wide open.
Upon entering the main hub, the ceiling shoots up six stories high, creating a feeling of spaciousness that feels very different from other terminals.
The greeting of large LED screens showing fun digital animals peeking out of artificial rock walls made me feel instantly safe.
High-top tables set in carpeting surrounding the digital screens invite travelers to sit down and watch the display.
You can walk in between the screens and watch beautiful seascapes transform into desert scenes with stones that appear to move with the viewer.
Past the screens, the terminal splits three ways. Straight ahead, several gates at the end were empty and made a great place to take a quick rest and charge my phone.
Taking the elevator up to the sixth floor, you almost merge with the vertical light fixtures, and there is much less foot traffic.
While there is no designated quiet space, traveling down to the commuter train level drops the volume by at least half.
Stepping into the SeaWorld store, you can watch digital stingrays float by and be calmed by the real fish in their aquarium.
Heading down the vast corridor toward Gates C250–C254 gives you a reprieve from all the food vendors and retail kiosks.
What would make me feel even safer are lounge chairs in the breezeways—places that are not directly connected to departure gates, where it's okay to simply sit, breathe, and observe without feeling like someone is waiting for your seat.
While the large marble walls and highly polished floors feel clean, they also allow the mind to get lost in beige. Adding artwork that isn't digital, along with sculptures or overhead mobile art, would help break up the sanitized, hospital-like feeling and create more visual points of interest.

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