Whether dashing down corridors to reach a gate or whiling away hours during a layover, travellers are rarely inspired to stop and admire airport architecture.
But an attractive water feature or a quirky ceiling can make the frustrating process of waiting for a flight a little more pleasurable.
The Prix Versailles, a prestigious global architecture award, has revealed its annual list of the world’s most beautiful airports.
Secretary general Jérôme Gouadain emphasises how even functional spaces like departure terminals or check-in desks can benefit from thoughtful design.
“The mark left by airports stems chiefly from their ever-growing role in international exchanges. As a result, this infrastructure must resolve formidable difficulties in terms of flow management and the aircraft themselves,” he says.
“But this new brand of facilities can also be seen as works of art, or at least as things of beauty. In fact, we should strive to make this happen, given their inescapability in our built environments and our landscapes.”
The award also prioritises “intelligent sustainability” in airport design. Here are the winning airports, chosen for their “operational, ecological and aesthetic excellence”.
Nature and light fill Yantai Penglai International Airport, China
First place went to Yantai Penglai International Airport’s Terminal 2. Spanning 167,000 square metres, the architecture of the new building pays homage to Yantai’s unique coastal landscape.
Aedas, in collaboration with CSWADI and the Shanghai New Era Airport Design and Research Institute, drew inspiration from the majestic Kunyu Mountain for the terminal’s sweeping roofline and undulating shapes.
Its E-shaped layout was developed to optimise passenger flow and minimise the impact on the existing terrain.
The curves, materials and tones of the interior draw on nature and natural light permeates the entire terminal, which can help travellers find a sense of calm.
Reinterpretations of wooden ships’ hulls are scattered here and there in a nod to the Maritime Silk Road.
A sustainable restoration of Marseille Provence Airport, France
A European airport took second place. Architects Foster + Partners recently designed a bright, new structure to unify Terminal 1 at Marseille Provence Airport in France.
It includes a 22,000 square metre extension that “conveys peace and relaxation without expanding the terminal’s footprint on the ground”, according to the Prix Versailles judges.
This window-lined hall stands 22 metres tall and was built with 70 per cent recycled steel. The roof features a grid of skylights framed with polished aluminium, allowing for natural ventilation.
The project also involved restoring 28,000 square metres of space in keeping with French architect Fernand Pouillon’s original 1960s terminal and integrated with British-Italian architect Richard Rogers’ development in the 1990s.
Now, travellers pass through security under a timber canopy, and the spaces containing shops and restaurants – likewise made of wood – are a reference to the boat houses of the Old Port of Marseille.
Glass façades provide for maximum transparency, with views of the Provençal hinterland on one side and a maritime lagoon on the other.
Working with Réunion Island’s weather phenomena at Roland Garros Airport
The new 13,000 square metre Arrivals Terminal of Roland Garros Airport on Réunion Island takes third place as the world’s first tropical bioclimatic airport structure at this scale.
This technical feat was achieved by working with 91 per cent local businesses, whose expertise helped come up with the idea for a central “canyon”.
This defines both the form and function of the building and acts as a thermal chimney, enabling natural ventilation.
Réunion Island is subject to increasingly intense weather phenomena, so 830 sets of shutters connected to sensors on the façades adjust their angles in real time in response to changing conditions.
The Prix Versailles judges say the firm AIA Life Designers “has delivered a sensory journey for travellers through the extensive use of wood and native vegetation, in a living expression of the island’s landscape and culture.”
Streamlined services at Kansai International Airport, Japan
Originally designed 30 years ago by Italian architect Renzo Piano on an artificial island in the middle of Osaka Bay, Kansai International Airport is an architectural icon.
With its elegant structure and aerodynamic roofline, it is also the longest airport in the world.
The newly restored Terminal 1, designed by architecture firm Populous, was awarded fourth place. Its capacity to accommodate international travellers has been expanded by 25 per cent.
All the interior spaces have been reinvigorated with a palette of natural materials to give the terminal a distinctly Japanese feel.
A smart queue management system has also been installed to help streamline the process for passengers.
A forest-inspired experience at Portland International Airport
Portland International Airport’s new Main Terminal, designed by American architectural firm ZGF, comes in fifth place. It was inspired by walks in the forest, resulting in a calming, immersive experience for travellers.
The star of the project is its undulating mass timber roof, extending over more than 36,000 square metres, which celebrates Oregon’s history of forest product innovation.
The materials employed were sourced from the local industry within a 500-kilometre radius of the airport, with a “forest to frame” system to track as much of the wood as possible back to its forest of origin.
The spectacular structure allows for natural light to flood in, views of the forested landscape, and the incorporation of a multitude of natural elements.
A carbon-conscious terminal at San Francisco International Airport
With its 25 new boarding gates, San Francisco International Airport’s Terminal 1 takes the sixth spot.
A collaboration between San Francisco International Airport and a team of partners led by global architecture firm Gensler, one of its main objectives was to reduce the building’s carbon footprint by 79 per cent and its energy usage by 59 per cent.
With soft natural light filtering through to every level, the new terminal provides a soothing, restorative setting for travellers.
The architecture unfurls in a celebration of arts and crafts that reflects the unique character of the Bay Area.
The airport is also home to the SFO Museum, the world’s only accredited museum at an airport, which allows more robust exhibits and art to be shared throughout the terminals.
Terminal 1 is also a tribute to Harvey Milk, a trailblazer for inclusion and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California.
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