When you think of an airport, does hardwood flooring come to mind? Perhaps not, but if you find yourself in Europe it might start to!

Sweden’s Airport – It’s Like Ikea!

Our Internet Marketing Manager recently realized just how much she has hardwood flooring on the brain; following a 10-hour flight to Sweden, she disembarked from the plane and immediately thought, “Oh, look – hardwood floors!” Of course, following this she promptly took out her camera and snapped a few photos.

With a clean look and feel typical to Swedish design, the airport, “Really felt like walking into an Ikea.”

Upon her return, we took it upon ourselves to research the Swedish airport’s hardwood floors. Although we were disappointed we couldn’t find any details about the stunning, beautiful hardwood flooring (which appears to be Red Oak), we did find that Sweden isn’t alone; several other European airports rely on hardwood floors as well.

It’s important these floors withstand the wear and tear of tens of thousands of people walking on them every day. Although other materials, such as linoleum, may cost less up front, the durability of hardwood flooring withstands airports’ heavy use. It doesn’t hurt that hardwood floors are so beautiful, either!

Hardwood Flooring Throughout European Airports

Here are a few European airports that use hardwood flooring extensively in their design:

Venice’s Marco Polo Airport – With foot traffic from more than 6 million people each year, this airport features 10,000 square meters of striking Jatoba, one of the hardest species available.

Ireland’s Cork International Airport – Also made from Jatoba, these warm, bold hardwood floors are arranged in ladder pattern parquet.

Copenhagen Airport – With a variety of hardwood flooring species, including Padauk, Merbau and Jatoba, this airport's floors provide a warm, glowing contrast to the building's steel and glass decor.

Sweden’s Arlanda Airport – We’re pretty sure this airports’ species is Red Oak. Regardless, it adds stunning beauty for travelers passing through.

Have you ever noticed hardwood flooring in places you didn’t expect? Of course, at San Jose Hardwood Floors we appreciate the wide range of locations for this type of material to be used.

Want to learn more about hardwood flooring? Come visit our showroom, and don’t forget to contact us for a free in-home estimate!