Sky Harbor Rental Car Center
at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

Phoenix, Arizona

Project Info

  • Client

    Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

  • Size

    5,000 vehicle spaces

  • Delivery method

    CMAR

  • Role on project

    Associate Architect

  • Project Completion:

    2006

  • Project Budget:

    $160M

  • DFDG Team Members
  • Michael Schmitt

    Project manager

The Rental Car Center at Phoenix Sky Harbor welcomes travelers with a breathtaking bird’s eye view of the Valley of the Sun.

Designed to provide travelers with their first Arizona experience, the Phoenix Sky Harbor Rental Car Center (RCC) sets the tone from the moment visitors arrive. Optimized for efficient car rental transactions and smooth fleet operations, the facility balances its vast scale — 2.2 million square feet, a 5,600-vehicle garage, and a 140-acre parcel shared with nine rental agencies — with a layout that keeps customer areas completely separate from fleet service and bus operations.

More than a transactional space, the RCC offers world-class service for travelers and an efficient business environment for rental car companies. Its design draws from the landscape that surrounds it: the grandeur of the Grand Canyon, the warmth of southwest sunshine, the quiet beauty of the desert. Together, these elements give visitors a sense of place before they have even left the airport.

DFDG collaborated with the Phoenix Arts Commission to weave that artistic vision into the fabric of the facility itself. Rather than placing art objects within a finished space, the artists worked to change the character of the experience entirely, capturing the beauty of this unique place at a scale worthy of it.

The project brought together a talented team of collaborators, with DFDG partnering alongside TranSystems Corporation, HKS Architects, and Blunk Demattei to bring the Rental Car Center to life.

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