Building Description Wake Island Airfield, Terminal Building, Wake Island
The terminal building, constructed in 1962, comprises a terminal section and an administrative section. The administrative section is two stories and comprises the southern third of the building. At one time this section had a condenser enclosure on top, which has since been removed. The terminal section is one story on the east side, one and one half stories on the west side, and comprises the northern two-thirds of the building. The one and one half story section of the building is the passenger lobby, while the one-story section is the concessions and restrooms.
The airfield terminal (building 1502) is minimalist Modern style architecture, reminiscent of the International style from the 1920s with ribbon-like bands of windows in stark concrete walls that create low horizontal rectilinear forms. The horizontal massing is further emphasized by the flat roof and projecting sunshades. Flat sunshades project out 3'-6" over the windows on the west, south, and east facades of the administrative section of the building, and on the north and east facades of the terminal portion of the building to form continuous horizontal bands. The terminal has a flat-roofed lanai supported by a colonnade projecting 18'-6" on the west side. These shading features stylistically adapt this building to the Pacific Island region. On the wall above the lanai roof on the west side the words "Wake Island Airfield" are attached in all capital block letters along with the words, "Where America's Day Really Begins," painted in cursive.
The terminal is generally rectilinear in plan measuring 233'-0" north-south The south portion of the U is the two-story administrative wing measuring 85'-2" east-west x 93'-8" north-south. The north one-story portion of the building contains the lobby to the west measuring 42'-0" east-west x 141'-8" north-south and an area originally housing the coffee shop, concessions, nursery, and restroom. This area abuts the lobby on the north end of the east side and measures 36'-6" east-west x 85'-2" north-south. A small office measuring 14'-0" x 14'-0" is located off the north side on the lobby on the west corner.
The coffee shop/restroom wing, the south end of the lobby, and the east side of the administrative wing surround a recessed opening on the east side for the street-side pedestrian entrance and lanai. The opening is 20'-6" wide north-south. The north interior wall of the recessed entrance formed by the coffee shop/restroom wing measures 36'-6", the south wall is 42'-0". On the south wall at the west end of the recessed pedestrian entrance area is a small enclosed area originally for the bank and housing the air-conditioning equipment. This area measures 20'-0" x 23'-0".
The second floor is 85'-2" east-west x 85'-2" north-south and is located only over the administrative portion on the south end of the building.
The plan of the interior of Building 1502 is defined by two distinctive types of spaces. The passenger terminal and services area is located to the north in the one story, and one-and-one half story wing. The administrative office area is located to the south in the two story section of the building.
The passenger terminal portion is divided into two sections. The western half, measuring 126'- 0" north-south x 42'-0" is a large open waiting/reception area with a passenger service counter measuring 13'-0" x 36'-0" x 36'-6" in the northwest corner. The space is open with a high drop acoustic ceiling and a single row of supporting concrete columns spaced evenly in the center of the room running north to south. The eastern half of this building contains, from north to south:
A gift shop (formerly the coffee shop) measuring 35'-6" x 20'-6".
Private spaces for passengers (formerly the nursery measuring 20'-6" x 13-6" with a USAF personnel office and USAF dependents waiting area to the west of the nursery measuring 16'-6" x 10'-0" and 21'-6" x 10'0", respectively).
The women's restroom is 21'-0" x 20'-6" including a 5'-0" x 5'-6" powder room. The restroom is accessed through a hallway (5'-0" wide x 15'-0" long) from the passenger waiting area.
The men's restroom is 28'-0" long x 20'-6" including a small janitorial closet. This restroom is also accessed from a hallway (5'-0" x 8'-0") from the passenger waiting area.
The street (east) entrance is recessed into the building, flush with the interior passenger service walls, and contains two double-leaf glass doors. To the south of the entrance is a museum (formerly the bank) measuring 21'-0" x 17'-0".
The first floor of the administrative wing is separated from the passenger waiting area by walls and a double-leaf glass door with metal sash. The wing is divided by an interior full length hallway that runs north to south along the western quarter of the wing. It is intersected by an interior hallway running east to west along the southern quarter of the wing to an exit and with a 90 degree angle turn to a flight of stairs. The halls are flanked by varying-size offices that have been modified in size over the years, equipment storage rooms, and small restrooms. The largest room is the post office, which is accessed from the waiting area, in the northeast section of this wing. It measures 41'-0" x 42'-0" and contains a 9'-6" x 19'-0" customer area and a 8'-0" x 21'-0" post office box area. A stairwell to the second floor is located about one-third down the primary hall from the passenger waiting area.
The second floor is accessed from the stairs in the northwest central part of the floor or from the stairs in the southeast corner of the wing. The wing is divided by an interior hallway that runs north to south along the western quarter of the wing. It is intersected by a central interior hallway running east to west that turns 90 degrees to the south and 90 degrees to the east to intersect the southeast staircase. The halls are primarily flanked by varying sized offices that have been modified in size over the years. The floor also contains a conference room, equipment storage rooms, and small restrooms.
