Atlanta airport 'oasis' wins international design award

Rarely are words like “soothing” and “oasis” associated with the madness that is Atlanta’s airport. 

But a Pennsylvania-based landscape design company has done its part to help change that, according to judges of an international competition.

Ambius Design and Construction recently won a Platinum award for installation at The International Plantscape Awards for what’s described as a “calming bonsai lounge escape” at the world’s busiest airport. 

The installation is part of the sleek new American Express Centurion Lounge at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport—the largest such space in the Centurion network, at nearly 26,000 square feet. 

Situated in Concourse E near gate E11, Ambius’ “biophilic oasis” counts a 50-year-old bonsai tree from a Florida nursery as its centerpiece. The tree stands 20-feet tall, weighs 2,500 pounds, and required a crane (brought in overnight, via a runway) to install through the glass-paneled ceiling. 

Other natural aspects of the space include 12 black olive trees, 2,200 foliage plants, and a “serene forest floor” of moss, stone, and ferns. 

Elsewhere are automated lighting and irrigation systems, plus exterior terraces for fresh air with natural scents and wildlife sounds pumped in. 

Collectively the space “offers a refreshing escape from the busy airport,” per Ambius reps. “Our client was thrilled, and the bonsai owner’s emotional response reminded us how special this project is—a testament to biophilia in the most unexpected places.”

Based in Reading, Penn., Ambius was founded in 1963 and operates in 16 countries today. The firm acquired three other landscaping companies last year alone as part of a growth phase. 

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