World’s most beautiful airport named and it’s not Singapore | World | News
It has been given the title of the world’s most beautiful airport for 2025, and surprisingly it is not the famous Singapore Changi. This year, UNESCO’s prestigious Prix Versailles awards, which celebrate architectural excellence around the world, recognized a number of airports that combine breathtaking design, sustainability and local culture. The airport at the top this year was Yantai Penglai International Airport in China.
The newly opened Terminal 2 has been praised for its elegant design, environmentally responsible structure and thoughtful integration of local culture and the natural environment. Opening in 2024, Terminal 2 at Yantai Penglai International Airport was designed to celebrate the city’s coastal and mountainous landscapes.
The airport was designed by Aedas in collaboration with CSWADI and Shanghai New Age Airport Design and Research Institute.
The terminal’s sweeping roofline draws inspiration from the nearby Kunyu Mountains, while wave-shaped ceilings and abundant skylights evoke the region’s unique coastal landscape. Inside, landscaped courtyards, open spaces and natural light create a calm and welcoming atmosphere for occupants.
The terminal spans an impressive 167,000 square meters and has been designed with flexible gate arrangements and integrated rail links, ensuring passengers can move through the space smoothly and efficiently.
Marseille Provence Airport Terminal 1 of France ranks second, while Roland Garros Airport’s Arrival Terminal on Réunion Island ranks third.
Marseille’s Terminal 1 is 22 meters high; It features a new central hall with large glazed sections and polished aluminum framed skylights, allowing for natural ventilation and flooding the interior with daylight. Approximately 70% of the steel used in construction was recycled; This reflects striking design as well as a commitment to sustainable materials.
Roland Garros Airport Arrivals Terminal was recognized for its 13,000 square meter bioclimatic extension designed by AIA Life Designers.
Lauded as the world’s first tropical bioclimate terminal of this scale, the project was carried out in close collaboration with local businesses; 91% of construction work was completed by companies based on the island; A forward-thinking, environmentally friendly design was presented while supporting the local economy.
Prix Versailles General Secretary Jérôme Gouadain said: “The mark left by airports is mainly due to their ever-increasing role in international exchanges.
“Ultimately, this infrastructure needs to solve tough challenges in terms of flow management and the aircraft itself. But this new brand of facilities can also be seen as works of art, or at least things of beauty.
“In fact, we should strive to achieve this, given their inevitability in our built environments and landscapes. Focused on operational, ecological and aesthetic excellence, these centers also convey shared values, culture and even respect for the past, respecting the legacies left behind by previous generations.”
“In light of the planetary challenges we face today, it is time for these compelling images of our contemporary heritage to be put forward as symbols of humanity’s internal dialogue.”
