Wide benches made up of 'boudins' of various sizes, relaxing armchairs, games tables and a fountain. The whole area is lit by designer floor lamps and enlivened by sculptures whose shapes evoke the architecture of the Pompidou Centre.
Since 14 April, a single boarding lounge has been open to passengers in terminal 2G at Roissy Charles de Gaulle.. A design that literally reinvents airport waiting times, and which the authorities have named "Extime".
A a small marketing revolution for the group ADP which turns to the idea of producing a a concept based on the psychological state and emotions of the traveller in the terminal.
Anti-anxiety space
"We know that a passenger is going to have an "undergone" time - in other words, the time he or she spends in the air. an average airport journey time of 2 hours 32 minutes. 60% of this time will be spent waiting which follows the recording time. This is perceived as stressful. The time that follows in the reserved area, we are going to transform from a time 'suffered' to a time 'given'. With an atmosphere conducive to relaxation and discovery. Caroline Blanchet, Chief Marketing Officer ADP Group.
" Extime is a new hospitality brand without a hotel. A brand that will also be available in our lounges and duty-free shops. We have created "Extime hosted by Aéroports de Paris". The concept follows the same logic as a hotel chain applying its identity. Extime will therefore cover all CDG terminals.. And we could think of other airports in the near future with a similar hospitality approach," says Mathieu Daubert, Director of ADP's Customer Group.
To apply this idea of hospitality value, the ADP group has worked on several markers.
Starting with the design, by calling on architecture and interior design firms. For CDG 2G, Dorothée Meilichzon, from the CHZON agency, designed the boarding lounge.
The atmosphere is very much inspired by the 70s, with wide boudin benches, solid wood armchairs and tables with rounded curves, and sinuous white plastic sculptures. "We worked on the colours, but also on materials that would be robust enough to withstand the passage of passengers. And durable too. The lamps and baskets are recycled objects - the lamps, for example, come from old propellers and the baskets are old airline service trolleys in the cabin", describes Dorothée Meilichzon.
The other marker is service. In addition to this idea of an "anti-anxiety" place, with an atmosphere closer to a hotel lobby or lounge than an airport terminal, the group is putting in place a range of services. Concierges as well as a "Maître de Maison" - a kind of maître d'hôtel - will ensure that passengers are satisfied and help them. Spaces dedicated to culture, work and games - some tables can be used as chessboards, for example - are scattered along the boarding and waiting area.
After CDG 2G, Extime at CDG1 and Orly 4
Roissy CDG 2G is the first to be transformed. In fact, the closure of the terminal due to covid has been conducive to this metamorphosis. But Mathieu Daubert explains that the group is not stopping there. " The next terminal to be equipped with the Extime concept will be Terminal 1, which is due to reopen in December.. We should then have Orly 4 and CDG Terminal 2E K. We are also working on a reconfiguration at CDG 2F. Each one will have its own identity, as we are working with different design teams," he adds.
In terms of investment, the metamorphosis of the waiting areas at CDG represented only a additional investment costs from 2% to 3%. A reasonable surplus, all things considered. And one wonders why it wasn't applied earlier when other terminals were being refurbished. Probably because it wasn't in the air at the time.
