For many of us, airports are just the gateways that get us from point A to point B when we travel. Most of the time, we’re too busy rushing around to stop and truly appreciate the terminals we pass through. Some airports are just as famous for their stunning design as they are for their efficiency. This year, one airport in the US has earned the title of the “most beautiful” in the world.
Each year, the Prix Versailles architectural competition honors the best airport terminals, and in late December, San Francisco International Airport was named the ‘most beautiful in the world.’
Harvey Milk Terminal 1 stood out for its excellence in sustainability, innovation, cultural significance, passenger experience, and architectural design. The terminal recently underwent a multi-billion-dollar transformation, featuring redesigned departure gates, updated facades, and modernized ticket counters.
Prix Versailles highlighted efforts to cut the carbon footprint by 79 per cent and reduce energy use by 59 per cent. It’s also the world’s first airport terminal named after an LGBTQ+ leader, featuring museum galleries dedicated to Harvey Milk, the trailblazing American politician who became the first openly gay man elected to public office in California. Prix Versailles praised Terminal 1’s 25 new boarding gates as the result of an ambitious transformation, highlighting its soft natural light and calming atmosphere for travelers.
Other honorees included Marseille Provence Terminal 1 in France for its interior design, and Roland Garros Airport Arrivals Terminal, noted as the world’s first tropical bioclimatic airport.
China’s Yantai Penglai International Airport Terminal 2 was recognized for its coastal design and abundant natural light, while Japan’s Kansai International Airport Terminal 1 earned praise for architectural excellence.
Since 2015, the awards have been held annually at UNESCO, honoring outstanding contemporary architecture across categories like airports, campuses, passenger stations, sports facilities, museums, emporiums, hotels, and restaurants.
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