The Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis is a luxurious international destination, a playground of the rich and famous who flock there to soak up sun and sea. BMA was tasked with designing a unique airport terminal suffused with luxury and exclusivity, commensurate with the uber-affluent visitors that make up the majority of the tourist demographic, The 50,000-sq-ft  boutique airport terminal sits on a 5-acre land parcel located adjacent to the Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw International Airport in Basseterre, St Kitts. Functionally, the form is designed as a Hurricane Grade 5 structure to withstand cyclonic weather the region frequently experiences.

The entire facility is rendered from concrete, topped with a special solid-wood roof fabricated in Miami, and equipped with shatter-proof windows. Stylistically, it takes its role as a gateway to an affluent stomping ground seriously. Viewed through a lens of exquisite luxury and comfort, the terminal is designed like a resort, with a sprawling, single-storey, spread-out plan dotted with courtyards, waterbodies, lawns and gardens. The ambience is crafted in an indulgent and casual yet refined island style, with tropical materials and bespoke details such as light fixtures made in Thailand.

The terminal lounge evokes an upscale living room, where guests can avail of a remote, armchair immigration procedure while sampling Caribbean cocktails and Michelin-starred culinary delights. Airstrip-facing sun-loungers allow guests to soak up the Caribbean sun right until they entire their jets. Meeting rooms host high net-worth individuals who stop by on the island to confer with their bankers about their offshore holdings, In addition to guests, the design pays attention to the comfort of pilots who ferry the affluent audience by including lounges, restrooms and showering facilities.

The fact that this terminal made it to Robb Report USA’s list of top 10 private jet terminals in the world for 2023, almost 12 years after it was designed, stands testimony to the success of its design and its enduring appeal.