5 Cool Ways That Closed Airports Have Been Repurposed

Many airports can find a second life.

Once an airport's final flight has taken off, it's hard to imagine what the facilities can be used as. It is rare that a major airport completely shuts down all operations, but when such instances occur, however, the possibilities for how to revitalize such a large space can be endless. In this article, we'll break down five cool ways in which closed airports have been repurposed.

Prior to the opening of the current Denver International Airport (DEN), Stapleton Airport served the Denver area. Now that the airport's facilities have been decommissioned, the 7.5 square mile space has been revitalized and used for a combination of residential and commercial purposes, with most original buildings demolished.

The original control tower, however, is a unique exception and remains standing. The tower has been converted into a 32,000-square-foot recreation and entertainment space featuring six bowling lanes, shuffleboard, bocce ball, and a sports bar. The restaurant pays homage to the building's original purpose as an airport control tower through themed decorations such as aircraft dials mounted on walls.

Prior to the construction of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), the city of Austin was served by the smaller downtown Robert Mueller Airport. Now, the former airfield has been turned into a 700-acre mixed-use development, including homes, commercial real estate, and multiple parks. Very little of the original airport stands today. However, the facility's historic 1943 Browning Hanger has been converted into a multi-use space and hosts a weekly farmers' market.

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The former Floyd Bennett Airport, which served the New York area in the 1900s, has since been converted into a space that plays host to a naval air station. Additionally, sections of the original area are now part of Gateway National Recreation Area, a protected space that includes portions of Staten Island, Queens, and New Jersey. One of the airport's original hangars, Hanger B, is now utilized as a space for the exhibition of vintage aircraft.

During the early years of aviation, Croydon Airport served as London's primary international airport, and the facility was later converted into a Royal Air Force (RAF) base during World War II. After the War, London Heathrow (LHR) took over the mantle of the city's primary airport, and Croydon was decommissioned in 1959. Since closing its doors to commercial aviation, the facility has now been converted into a heritage site and has been given official protection status by the British government.

Up until 1998, Kai Tak Airport served as the primary airport for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and has found a new life after its decommissioning. Currently, the former airport is home to a modern development featuring housing and the modern Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. Furthermore, the airport's redevelopment project aims to create a new sports complex alongside a luxury hotel.

The city, which has historically faced housing shortages, aims to use the area to house over 80,000 residents. Furthermore, the redevelopment will be connected to the city by new rapid transit stations.

Alexander (Alex) Mitchell, an Applied Mathematics and Economics student at Brown University, has maintained a lifelong passion for aviation. Mitchell aims to enter the field of strategy consulting with a specialty in commercial aviation. Based out of Providence, Rhode Island, USA.