The World’s 10 Most Beautiful Airports

Qatar’s “gateway to the world” pays homage to its Arabian Gulf with dramatic curves and arches, particularly inspired by water. Beneath a wave-shaped roof, Hamad International Airport’s light-filled departure terminal features sleek metal and glass surfaces, terrazzo-style floors, as well as an unexpected assortment of modern art. It’s no wonder why it’s regarded by many as the world’s most beautiful airport.

The Zürich International Airport is also deeply focused on its design and infrastructure. The crystal chandelier and soft glow of tiny lights lining the ceiling and railings that we see here both serve as illuminating centerpieces to the airport’s shopping and dining rotunda (The Circle). Zürich Airport is almost as robust as a small town, with a convention center, beautiful outdoor park, and outpatient health center.

The natural splendor of the Pacific Northwest was the inspiration for Sea-Tac Airport’s Concourse D annex. An all-glass curtain wall and light color palette contribute to the whimsy of the natural surroundings, while the distinctive glue-laminated timber truss system speaks to its integrity. They constructed the system from locally-sourced Douglas firs, which also helps reduce the building’s emissions.

From hexagonal skylights to a rhombus patterned floor, Heydar Aliyev International Airport is pure eye candy. Perhaps one of the most striking design elements, however, are the wooden cocoons seen here. Finished with diamond-shaped shingles covered in oak veneer, each pod houses cafes, bars, shopping kiosks, as well as areas to lounge. As deemed by many as the world’s most beautiful airport, it’s also one of the most stylistically interesting.

The folded geometric ceiling at Pulkovo Airport is a shining example of form meeting function. The gold-colored soffit creates a warm glow reminiscent of the gilded domes and spires of St. Petersburg, while the folds help distribute the weight of heavy snowfall. Skylights inset between the panels provide additional natural light while also directing passengers through the building.

Incorporating regional patterns and textures into the design of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is both culturally symbolic as well as hypnotically intriguing. Thirty oversize columns connect a sprawling canopy, which alludes to India’s tradition of open-air pavilions. The ceiling’s diamond-shaped patterns also nod to the tail feathers of the country’s national bird, the peacock.

The Denver International Airport is full of beautiful intrigue and mystery, both in its form as well as its design. The architects behind the Denver Airport, in particular Curtis Fentress (a protégé of I.M. Pei) took all mechanicals off of the roof and replaced it with a fabric ceiling, creating a cutting-edge canopy oozing with soft light. The airport also continues to stand as one of the most eco-conscious airports in the country. In August 2008, 2 MW of solar power was installed, making it one of the largest solar installations in a public airport.

Warm stone contrasts the sleek reflective ceiling and metallic construction inside Israel’s largest airport, the Ben Gurion Airport. A sprawling modern rotunda filled with calm colors and an open-air design encourages both a sense of ease as well as an inspiring feel. Passengers enter the building through a 26-foot-deep wall, an intentional metaphor of the transition from air to earth. The grandeur entrance symbolizes the country greeting its visitors with open arms.

The world’s only airport butterfly habitat can be found inside Changi Airport‘s modern steel-and-glass Terminal 3 building. Blooming with flowering plants, lush greenery, and a waterfall nearly 20 feet high, the tropical garden houses around 1,000 butterflies. The airport also features an astonishing living wall that spans the length of three football fields. It features more than 110,000 plants, bringing life into a metropolitan atmosphere.

The Bucharest Henri Coandă Airport lounge is pouncing with color, shape, and texture all at once. Its playful persona is no accident, either. The lounge was intended to mix straight, geometrical angles, luminous surfaces, and subtle optical distortion harmoniously. What’s created is a place of comfort and conversation. The design also reduces terminal noise by way of its privacy pockets.