Most Beautiful Airport Terminals in the World in 2025

The Prix Versailles is an award handed out by UNESCO for buildings with the best architecture and interior design in the world.

The prize is further categorised for sports facilities, emporiums, and, in this case, airport terminals.

Six terminals have received the nominations so far, and the final winner will be announced by the awards committee in December 2025. Of the six airport terminals that have been nominated, three will receive the recognition at the end of the year.

The winners are adjudged in accordance with the facilities provided at the airports and architectural significance to the location’s culture in which they are based. Here is a look at the nominees so far and the reasons behind their selection for Prix Versailles.

Most Beautiful Airport Terminals in the World

Photo: Archello

Yantai Penglai International Airport, Terminal 2 (YNT/ZSYT)

The Yentai Penglai International Airport opened in 2015 and serves the city of Yantai in China’s Shandong province.

It is a focus city for China Eastern Airlines and Shandong Airlines, both of which carriers provide excellent connectivity to domestic and overseas destinations. This airport’s Terminal 2, which opened in 2023, has been nominated for Prix Versailles.

It spans 167,000 square metres and is a tribute to Yantai’s coastal landscape. Aedas, the lead architect behind the building, takes inspiration from the Kunyu Mountain for the rooftop structure.

An E-shaped structure ensures that the entire terminal receives good natural light and was built without significantly damaging the natural terrain on the site.

YNT Airport has a multi-level atrium, which houses a direct railway connection and nine boarding gates with domestic/international swings, thus allowing for operational flexibility.

The terminal also has a lounge for premium travellers, as well as on a pay-per-use basis, which has all the conventional amenities like shower facilities, gourmet dining, and a business zone.

Photo: Marseille Airport

Marseille Provence Airport, Terminal 1 (MRS/LFML)

Marseille’s Provence Airport opened its new Terminal 1 in 2024. The new building spans roughly 20,000 square metres and is a significant revamp to the existing structure.

The airport serves Marseille city and links France as well as the rest of Europe with frequent flights operated primarily by Air France, Ryanair, and Transavia.

The new addition to Terminal 1 features a heart shape that makes the most of the spaces inside the building without expanding its footprint on the ground.

Travellers can now pass security checks under a timber canopy, while shops and restaurants are also made of rich wood, referencing Marseille’s boat houses in the Old Port. Glass facades mean natural light also flows in.

The structure is built with 70% recycled steel and wood, which has ensured that the architecture has had a minimal impact on the environment.

In addition to a number of shops and restaurants, there is also a lounge at Terminal 1 for credit card holders and business class fliers. A number of newer airlines could soon start operating from the new building sooner rather than later.

Photo: Roland Garros Airport (via Facebook)

Roland Garros Airport, Arrivals Terminal (RUN/FMEE)

Roland Garros Airport is the gateway to the French department of Reunion in the Indian Ocean.

The island is well-connected to France and the rest of its departments around the world by Air Austral, Air France, Air Mauritius, Corsair, Ewa Air, and French Bee. It is especially a popular vacation destination and has recently opened a new arrivals terminal.

The 13,000 square metre building has a bioclimatic design, which has been inspired by the objective of reducing the need for air conditioning.

Natural sunlight, coupled with greenery around the terminal and automatic louvers, helps maintain a relaxing environment to greet passengers in the best possible way after long-haul flights to the remote location.

Being an arrivals terminal, it does not offer too many amenities, but the architecture was mainly carried out by local businesses, who contributed 91% of the work towards the building.

It is now not only a sustainable piece of marvel but also played its part for the local community, hence fitting perfectly with UNESCO’s requirements for the Prix Versailles award.

Photo: Kansai Airport

Kansai International Airport, Terminal 1 (KIX/RJBB)

Kansai International Airport in Osaka is one of Japan’s top international airports and provides seamless connections to several destinations around the world.

An architectural marvel in itself, it was built on an artificial island over three decades ago with parallel runways, and it also has the longest terminal building in the world. Terminal 1 recently underwent a 25% expansion.

After opening in time for Expo 2025, it has earned a nomination for the Prix Versailles award. The interior spaces have been significantly revamped with palettes of Japanese architectural materials, giving the building a local feel.

A smart queue management system now provides streamlined solutions for travellers, thus making flying all the more efficient.

Kansai International Airport has fantastic connectivity to Osaka’s business district, while Terminal 1 in particular has conveniently located boarding gates for domestic and international travel, along with shops, restaurants, and a number of airline lounges. It’s new rebuild with a more homely feel could win it a prestigious accolade later in the year.

Photo: City of Portland

Portland International Airport, Main Terminal (PDX/KPDX)

Portland International Airport is the main gateway to the city of Portland, located in Oregon state in the United States. In 2024, over 17 million passengers travelled through the airport, which is an operating hub for Alaska Airlines.

PDX is also connected to Europe with British Airways, Condor, Icelandair, and KLM operating transatlantic flights.

Portland Airport’s main terminal is nominated for the world’s most beautiful airport terminals accolade category under Prix Versailles.

The new building opened to travellers in August 2024 and was built by drawing inspiration from Oregon’s innovation of forest products, with the theme ‘walks in the forest’ as the design factor for ZGF, the lead architect.

The airport has multiple biophilic elements, views of forested landscape, and access to natural light. Local businesses were also well supported, as all of the building materials were sourced from within 500 kilometres of the airport’s location.

Despite being an architectural marvel, the airport has not compromised on efficiency and amenities, thus being a leading contender for the prize.

Photo: San Francisco Airport

San Francisco International Airport, Terminal 1 (SFO/KSFO)

San Francisco International Airport is one of the world’s busiest hubs for air travel. Not only is it very well-connected with American cities, but it also provides solid flying options to Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

It is the largest airport in the Bay Area and a hub for Alaska Airlines as well as United Airlines. Its newly opened Terminal 1 is nominated for the Prix Versailles award.

Terminal 1 recently introduced 25 new boarding gates and has been designed closely with Genler and Ruth Ranieri, two of the United States’ largest architecture firms.

The design has been focused on making the building sustainable by allowing for natural light to flow in more effectively, while reducing the carbon footprint by 79% and energy usage by 59%.

It also features the SFO Museum, the world’s only accredited museum inside an airport terminal so far. Therefore, passengers have the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the art and culture of San Francisco.

Lastly, the design of the terminal is a tribute to Harvey Milk, who was an advocate for inclusion, thus giving the building a modern moral value, too.

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