How PHX Airport managed to move and save a historic mural
There’s a big, colorful reason to stop at the Rental Car Center at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), even if you’re not renting or returning a car.
After many community meetings, strategy sessions, technical workarounds, and a good dose of luck, the airport and its art museum (yes, PHX has an art museum) were able to save and relocate a giant, beloved mural by Paul Coze from Terminal 2, which was being demolished, to a space in the rental car center where it can more easily be seen and appreciated.
The mural is titled “The Phoenix,” and it is big: the triptych is 75 feet wide and 16 feet high. It is also a beloved local favorite because when Terminal 2 was being built, back in the early 1960s city leaders invited local citizens to come to the Phoenix Public Library to vote on which art should adorn the terminal when it opened in 1962. Paul Coze’s design, which represents the city’s past, present, and future with imagery that includes Hohokam symbols, Latino heritage, mining, and modern technology, was the winner.
The mural debuted when Terminal 2 opened and was a prominent feature of what was then one of the country’s most modern airport facilities. The terminal had an indoor baggage carousel, a long concourse with 10 separate gates, a hotel reservation kiosk, and a nursery where travelers could drop off their kids while they shopped or snacked. Back then, the terminal also had a rooftop observation deck, a bank, a barbershop, and Herman Miller chairs in pumpkin, aqua, and black.
Related: These 7 airports have such stunning artwork
Over the years, the terminal was remodeled. And more things were added to what started out as a mid-century modern, open-style terminal lobby. Carpeting covered up the polished marble floor. Trees were added. And eventually, the mural was difficult to see and be cared for. “It lived through the era of people smoking in airports,” says Gary Martelli, Phoenix Airport Museum manager and curator. “And in one of the remodels there was a restaurant exhaust hood right up against the center panel.”
When it came time to demolish the terminal, art museum staff supervised moving the mural to the Rental Car Center. But it was no easy task. The three-panel mural was made up of 15 different canvases that had been glued to the plaster. And the artist had embellished the mural with 52 different materials, including seaweed, glass and ceramic mosaic tiles, soil, and sand from around the state, plastics (including a steering wheel from his daughter’s car seat), aluminum, shells, and gemstones.
The construction team was able to move the mural by removing the exterior walls of the building, creating armature support for the mural and then lifting the mural out. They then put it on a flatbed truck and drove it across the airfield, Martelli explains.
This short video shows the mural relocation process and includes some great throwback images of the original terminal.
“The Phoenix” can now be viewed on the southwest corner of the central escalator lobby in the Rental Car Center. Nearby are exhibit cases with information about Terminal 2 and artist Paul Coze, along with photos from the initial installation of the mural. The airport has also installed viewing telescopes (at two heights) to allow visitors to take a closer look at the details and embellishments in the mural. Signs nearby suggest items to look for. And there are free postcards of the mural here too.
Being able to view "The Phoenix" now, as you come down the escalator in the Rental Car Center “is pretty stupendous,” says Martelli, “It’s brighter and more dimensional than it’s ever been.” And it is very accessible. “I tell people the rental car center is like a museum. It’s easy to get to, easy to park, and free to enter.” And besides the mural, there’s museum-quality art scattered throughout the building.
Soon it will be even easier to get to the Rental Car Center. In mid-2022, the airport’s PHX Sky Train extension will start running from the terminals to the Rental Car Center.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
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- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.