The world’s most beautiful airports

The Art of the Airport

Too often airports are viewed as an arduous step in arriving to an amazing location, with little attention paid to the intricacies of the architecture behind them. With vivid photography and illustrious backstories, The Art of the Airport shines a light on the captivating beauty of the world’s most beautiful terminals – here are a few of our favourites.

The Art of the Airport: The World’s Most Beautiful Terminals, edited by Stefan Eiselin, Laura Frommberg and Alexander Gutzmer is published by Murdoch Books, $49.99.

Words by Bianca Farmakis and Siobhan Plowman.

Lleida-Alguaire Airport, Catalonia

Built during a period of economic growth, the Spanish airport is now relatively inactive – it serves less than a tenth of its original expected capacity – but if you’re on one of the few planes that land each day, it appears much more lively due to its colourful control tower. Standing 41m in height, the metal plats in olive, green and brown are a striking welcome.

Photo by Oscar Laborda Sanchez.

Pulkovo Airport, St Petersburg

As Russia’s third-largest airport, Pulkovo proved a challenge to bring to life in the harsh Russian climate. Designed to be a mirror of the city’s wonders, the roof’s metal-like plates are designed to resemble the Orthodox church roofs throughout the city, and the bridges and complex links between buildings are meant to be reminiscent of the canals. The structure of the roof and strategic gutters protect from the harsh winds and snow damage.

Photo by Yuri Molodkovets.

Wellington International Airport, New Zealand

The exterior of Wellington’s International Airport is designed to emulate the wild, rocky cliffs that make up part of New Zealand’s famous scenic landscape and are ingrained in ancient legends. In Maori mythology, the dramatic cliffs of Cook Strait were created by Whātaitai, a sea monster who escaped a lake by cutting through the mountains that once lay there. The interior, with its angular wooden panelling and pools of natural light, provides a sense of cocooned warmth and serenity – a reminder of the ingrained and ancient imporance of the land to New Zealand.

Photo by Patrick Reynolds. 

Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, China

This airport terminal in the Chinese city of Shenzhen can be said to resemble some sort of futuristic fish. But according to Italian architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, this 1.5 kilometre-long structure’s high ceilings and white honeycomb-like shell exterior were modelled on a manta ray.

Photo by Leonardo Finotti.

Queen Tamar Airport, Georgia

Nestled in the snowy mountains of Georgia, this airport and contemporary wonder serves the tiny mountain village of Mestia. Completed in only three months, this modern structure was designed to blend seamlessly with the beautiful landscape that surrounds it, and to emulate the ancient, stone-built watchtowers that deem this village a UNESCO World Heritage site, as both the airport and the medieval structures point heavenwards.

Photo by Marcus Buck, Munich.

Terminal 4, Madrid’s Barajas Airport

Featuring waves of bamboo panelling, multi-coloured steel supports and a flooding of natural light, terminal 4 at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport is highly regarded for its calm and bright atmosphere.

Photo by Roland Halbe/Artur Images. 

Terminal 4, Madrid’s Barajas Airport

The international award-winning structure, designed by architects Richard Rogers and Antonio Lamela, was built with the intention of accommodating 35 million passengers a year. It’s now a major European hub specialising in direct flights to Latin America. This terminal is one of the largest terminals in the world. 

Photo by Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners.

Terminal Two, Mumbai International Airport

While at first reminiscent of a sci-fi film set, behind the bright lights and geometric wall patterns of the International terminal in Mumbai are discreetly woven local patterns and textures which play on the Indian city’s complex dualities: a city of light and dark, rich and poor, tradition and innovation.

Photo by SOM.