When San Diego International Airport’s Terminal 1 opened in March 1967 it was praised in the pages of the San Diego Union for its “functional beauty” and convenience.

The view of Terminal 1, an example of brutalist architecture popular at the time, shifted over the decades to being outdated and inferior compared to more modern airports. Yet its simplistic design was credited over the years for making improvements and additions easy.

How the public views Terminal 1 will change in late September when the first phase of its remodel opens. The $3.8 billion modernization effort has been one of the most anticipated public works projects in San Diego in decades.

When it opened, Terminal 1 was just called “the new terminal” and, in many ways, the history of Terminal 1 is simply the history of t

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