Can Airports Be Beautiful? These 7 New Terminals Were Just Recognized for Their Stunning Design

This story was originally published in July 2025 and was updated on July 16, 2026, to include current information.

Can an airport truly be beautiful? While air terminals are often inherently stressful, some facilities raise the bar on design, becoming more than mere transit points to get from Point A to Point B.

Each year, the Prix Versailles, an annual international architectural competition that unveils its findings at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, recognizes excellence in global commercial design. In addition to the world’s most beautiful airports, the organization also recognizes categories of buildings that include campuses, train stations, stadiums, museums, hotels, and restaurants. The contest, which dates back to 2015, celebrates not only aesthetic quality but also how buildings embody innovation, cultural significance, and sustainability.

For 2026, Prix Versailles has named seven new airport terminals across five countries as the most beautiful in the world. Two of them are in the United States. The news comes at a time when some airports across the USA are getting a much-needed overhaul. Approximately $14.5 billion in federal grants has been earmarked for major infrastructure projects, like modern concourses and amenities that elevate the passenger experience.

To be considered for the airport award, judges looked at factors such as a terminal’s layout and flow, integration with natural surroundings, and the use of local materials and design motifs. Here are the seven terminals that won the Prix Versailles award in 2026.

Frankfurt Airport (FRA), Terminal 3

Courtesy of Prix Versailles

Location: Frankfurt, Germany

For Frankfurt’s new Terminal 3, which officially opened in April, architect Christoph Mäckler worked from the premise that airports draw more visitors than most urban centers. Therefore, he designed piers, gates, and lounges to emulate city streets and squares, with an eye toward passenger flow and efficiency. Floor-to-ceiling glass bathes most of the terminal in natural light, keeping artificial lighting minimal. At the center of it all, three suspended rings of colored aluminum rotate above the main “square” of the terminal.

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), Terminal 3

Courtesy of Prix Versailles

Location: Guangzhou, China

Guangzhou has been called the “City of Flowers” for centuries, and the airport’s newest terminal takes that literally. Architects drew on natural elements—including clouds, water, and flowers—that are showcased in a central atrium and a series of terraces and gardens. Passengers can also experience an eighth-floor open-air public observation deck, the highest at an airport in China. The interior design, with organic curves and a sense of movement, is said to evoke the Maritime Silk Road. CAN’s Terminal 3 opened in October 2025, alongside a fifth runway.

Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)

Photo by Ema Peter/courtesy of Prix Versailles

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

For the new PIT terminal, designers took their cue from the forest-shrouded Allegheny Mountains, with a swooping timber roofline held up by 38 steel columns shaped like trees. The canopy sits above glass walls that flood the space with natural light, and four terraces will soon give travelers access to fresh air before their flights. The more compact design means shorter passenger distances and more efficient energy usage. An old underground train to the gates is gone, replaced by the “Petal Tunnel,” mimicking the drive into Pittsburgh through the Fort Pitt Tunnel.

Techo International Airport (KTI)

Photo by Nigel Young/courtesy of Prix Versailles

Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Foster + Partners designed this $2 billion terminal to run almost solely on solar power, featuring a modular roof that echoes Cambodia’s grand palaces and temples. (There’s even an on-site solar farm.) Inside, the ceilings appear as if they’re woven from bamboo and rattan, a nod to traditional basket weaving. The effect isn’t just decorative, either. These canopies cut the need for mechanical ventilation and daytime lighting. Rumduol trees, the national flower, grow throughout the central atrium, and an abundance of greenery follows passengers through the terminal. Walking distances are short across the single canopy roof, from the drop-off curb to the gate.

Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI), Terminal 1

Photo by Abhijit Bhatlekar/courtesy of Prix Versailles

Location: Mumbai, India

Mumbai spent roughly two decades planning and building its newest airport, a monumental effort that included reclaiming land from the sea. The lotus-like design from Zaha Hadid Architects features a roof unfolding in petal-shaped shells from a central atrium. It’s functional too, shaped to handle monsoon runoff and strong winds. The airport’s first commercial flight took off in December 2025.

San Diego International Airport (SAN), Terminal 1

Photo by Ema Peter/courtesy of Prix Versailles

Location: San Diego, California, United States

The $3.8 billion terminal, which opened in September 2025, replaces a 1967 building that was designed for 2.5 million passengers a year. By the end it was moving more than 12 million. The new facility was built for how Southern Californians actually live, with a focus on natural light and outdoor space, including a 5,000-square-foot terrace overlooking the harbor and downtown. The facade’s focal point is an 800-foot piece of public art called “Luminous Wave,” built by glass artist James Carpenter and featuring 537 curved panels that shift from silvery gray by day to pinkish-orange at dusk and filter out heat and glare.

Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport (GAU), Terminal 2

Photo by Vivek Eadara/courtesy of Prix Versailles

Location: Guwahati, India

GAU Terminal 2 sits in Assam, in northeast India, at the crossroads of South and Southeast Asia. Mumbai architect Nuru Karim designed it around the bamboo orchid, a symbol of the region’s biodiversity. Inside, vaulted ceilings reference Assam’s sacred landscapes and indigenous building traditions. Indigenous art and tribal narratives are displayed in waiting areas that many airports leave blank. The centerpiece of the terminal is a Sky Forest, a 90-foot indoor rainforest with roughly 100,000 plants across 100 native species. Commercial flights started in February 2026.