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Airport Buildings : Air Terminal Architecture

Key Aeronautical Developments from around the World – Built Environment

post updated 1 December 2023

Airport Buildings

Airport Architecture

Key Contemporary Air Terminal Buildings + Developments

We’ve selected what we feel are the key examples of Airport Architecture from across the globe. The most celebrated terminal from the 20th Century is JFK Airport near New York. Its organic forms captured the imagination of a generation of architects.

In recent decades the most important air terminal is surely Chep Lap Kok by Foster + Partners near Hong Kong. It took the same spacious concepts that he developed for Stansted in England (now sadly spoilt by a profusion of retail) but magnified in size, an elegant approach that has improved the experience of so many as they travel through it.

Airport Buildings : news + projects A-G (this page)

Airport Architecture : H-Z

Latest Airport Building Designs

Airport Building News, chronological:

25 Jun 2021
TWA Hotel, John F Kennedy Airport Award

2 Jun 2021
BetaPort Tyrol Airport, Austria

May 22, 2020
SFO International Terminal Building Passenger Experience, San Francisco, California, USA
Design: Woods Bagot Architects / Tsao Design Group
SFO International Terminal Building Passenger Experience interior
photo : Emily Hagopian
SFO International Terminal Building Passenger Experience

Mar 4, 2020
British Airways Lounge, San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, California, USA
Design: William Duff Architects
British Airways Lounge SF International - American Airport Buildings
photo © Eric Rorer Photography
British Airways Lounge, San Francisco International Airport

31 Oct 2019
General Aviation (GA) Terminal, Schiphol, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Design: VMX Architects
VVIP Terminal Schiphol Amsterdam
photography : Jeroen Musch
VVIP Terminal at Schiphol Airport Amsterdam
Schiphol’s General Aviation (GA) Terminal is where the private and business flights of Heads of States, members of the Royal Family, CEO’s, pop stars and top football players are handled. As a reaction to the inconvenience of flying today with low-cost airways and long queues, VMX found it’s inspiration in the terminals from the era in which aviation was seen as a pleasure and had a luxurious appeal.

22 Nov 2018
Guelmim Airport, south of Morocco
Design: Groupe3Architectes
Guelmim Airport in Morocco
photography : Fernando Guerra / FG+SG and Groupe3Architectes
Airport Building in Guelmim
The new building is situated in an existing military infrastructure located 3km north of the Gateway to the Desert city.
Nov 12, 2018

JFK International Airport Redevelopment Plan, NY, USA
Design: Grimshaw Architects / Mott MacDonald
$13 Billion Terminal Redevelopment Plan Unveiled for JFK International Airport
John F Kennedy Airport Terminal Redevelopment

10 Apr 2018
Changi Airport Interior, Singapore
Design: Moment Factory
Changi Airport Interior in Singapore
image courtesy of architecture office
Changi Airport Building Interior Renewal
From optical illusions to cinematic storytelling, the architectural media features transform the least-appreciated travel moments into surprises of delight and discovery.

21 Jul 2017
New Terminal Building of the Marco Polo Airport, Venice, Italy
Design: One Works + SAVE Engineering
Marco Polo Venice New Terminal Building | www.e-architect.com
photo courtesy of architects
Marco Polo Airport in Venice New Terminal Building
One Works has completed Phase 1 of a major development plan for Marco Polo Airport, with expansive new facilities carefully integrated into the existing fabric of the airport.

31 Dec 2015
Chhatrapti Shivaji International Airport Terminal 2 Building, Mumbai, India
Architects: Skimore, Owings & Merrill LLP – SOM
Chhatrapti Shivaji International Airport Building
photo © Robert Polidori
Chhatrapti Shivaji International Terminal Building

13 Mar 2013
HIA Airport City, Doha, Qatar
Design: OMA
Airport City Building Doha
image from architect
Airport City Buildings Doha
Rem Koolhaas commented “We are delighted and honored to participate in the exciting growth of Doha, in a project that is perhaps the first serious effort anywhere in the world to interface between an international airport and the city it serves.”

15 Jan 2013
New Gibraltar Airport Building
Design: 3DReid and bblur Architecture
Gibraltar Airport Building
photo : Hufton & Crow
Gibraltar Airport Building
Gibraltar Airport’s uniquely situated new terminal building is modern, dynamic, transparent and airy. The new terminal is the first building visitors will see when they enter Gibraltar by air, road or on foot and is located immediately at the frontier, with the Rock as a backdrop.

2 Oct 2012
Frankfurt Airport : Extension of gate A, Germany
Design: gmp – von Gerkan, Marg & Partners
Frankfurt Airport building
photo © Marcus Bredt, Berlin
Frankfurt Airport
This building is about 800 meters long, with an area of 185,000 sqm and designed for up to six million passengers a year. On 10 October 2012, Fraport and Lufthansa start operations in the extension of gate A at Rhein-Main airport, Frankfurt, which has been designed and implemented by the architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners (gmp). The inauguration of the building will take place on 2 October.

5 Sep 2012
London Britannia Airport, Thames Estuary, England, UK
Design: Gensler
London Britannia - Thames Estuary Terminal
image from architects
London Britannia Airport
The world’s largest floating airport would be faster and cheaper to build; London Britannia Airport could provide the UK with its first 24/7 airport within the next decade. Today global design firm Gensler reveals its concept for a new London aviation hub.

17 Jul 2012
Tampa International Airport Expansion, Florida, USA
Design: Alfonso Architects
Tampa International Expansion
image : Alfonso Architects
Tampa International Airport Building Expansion
Alfonso Architects along with The Beck Group has been awarded the $17 million design build project at Tampa International Airport. The complex expansion will include 30,000 sq. ft. of additional space and a 40,000 sqft renovation of existing space at Airside F.

6 Feb 2012
Abu Dhabi Airport Terminal, UAE
Design: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
Abu Dhabi Airport Building
image from Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
Abu Dhabi Airport Terminal Building
Tthe new Midfield Terminal Complex at Abu Dhabi International Airport has been approved by the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi. With ground works already commenced on site, a contractor will now be appointed to commence work on the construction of the Terminal Complex

Recent Airport Building Developments

23 Nov 2011
Kutaisi Airport, Georgia
Design: Ben van Berkel / UNStudio
Kutaisi Airport Building
picture © UNStudio
Kutaisi Airport Building

31 Oct 2011
Winnipeg Airport, Manitoba, Canada
Design: Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
Winnipeg Airport
photo from architects
Winnipeg Airport Building
Canada’s greenest airport terminal, designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects in collaboration with Stantec, opened Sunday at the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport. The terminal, which draws design inspiration from Manitoba’s vast prairies and sky, will be the first freestanding airport building in Canada to be LEED certified.

31 Oct 2011
Domodedovo Airport, Moscow, Russia
Design: RMJM Architects
Domodedovo Airport
picture from architects
Domodedovo Airport Building
RMJM awarded Segment 3 of Domodedovo Airport’s United Terminal. The RMJM European studio has been awarded the contract to design Segment 3 of the United Terminal of Domodedovo Airport in Moscow. It will be designed by RMJM in Edinburgh and Moscow and will increase the airports current capacity by 16.5 million passengers per year, with construction expected to be complete in 2017.

4 Oct 2011
Kuwait International Airport
Foster + Partners
Kuwait International Airport
picture : Foster + Partners
Kuwait International Airport
Kuwait International Airport is planned to significantly increase capacity and establish a new regional air hub in the Gulf – the project’s strategic aims will be matched by a state-of-the-art terminal building, which will provide the highest levels of comfort for passengers and will set a new environmental benchmark for airport buildings. Its design is rooted in a sense of place, responsive to the climate of one of the hottest inhabited environments on earth and inspired by local forms and materials.

Airport Terminal Buildings

Major Terminal Buildings / Projects, alphabetical:

Arctic Airport, Norway
Narud Stokke Wiig / Haptic Architects
Arctic Airport Rana
image from NSW
Arctic Airport

Bangalore Airport Building, India
HOK Architects
Bangalore Airport Building
image : HOK
Bangalore Airport Building

Bangkok International Airport, Thailand
Helmut Jahn of Murphy/Jahn Architects
Suvarnabhumi Bangkok International
photo : Rainer Viertlböck
Suvarnabhumi Airport

Barajas Airport Terminal, Madrid, Spain
Richard Rogers Partnership, Estudio Lamela
Barajas Airport architecture
building image : Manuel Renau
Barajas Airport architecture

Barcelona Airport, Prat of Llobregat, Spain
Ricardo Bofill Architect
Barcelona Airport building
photo : Adrian Welch
Barcelona Airport

Capital Airport, Beijing, China
Foster + Partners
Beijing Airport Building
image : Nigel Young, Foster + Partners
Beijing Airport

Carrasco International Airport, Uruguay
Design: Rafael Vinoly Architects
Carrasco nternational building
picture from architect
Carrasco Airport building, Montevideo

Chep Lap Kok Airport, Hong Kong
Foster + Partners
Chep Lap Kok Hong Kong
photograph : Dennis Gilbert/VIEW
Chek Lap Kok Airport, Lantau Island

Christchurch Terminal, New Zealand
HASSELL + Warren and Mahoney
Christchurch Terminal
picture © Stantiall Studio
Christchurch Airport Terminal

Copenhagen Airport buildings, Denmark
Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects
Copenhagen Airport Terminal
photo from VLA
Copenhagen Airport Terminal

Delhi Airport Building, India
HOK Architects
Delhi Airport
image : HOK
Delhi Airport Building

Dublin T2 Airport, Ireland
Pascall + Watson Architects
Dublin T2
image from architects
Dublin Airport

Farnborough Airport, England, UK
REID architecture
Farnborough Airport Building
photo from REID architecture
Farnborough Airport

More Air Terminal Architecture projects online soon

Contemporary Architectural Designs

Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 Photos

Barajas Airport architecture images

Transport building designs

Comments / photos for the Airport ArchitectureAir Terminals page welcome