Stressful security checkpoints and crowded concourses are a thing of the past as a slew of trailblazing airports transport us into the next age of aviation. Innovative architecture firms—from the likes of Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid, César Pelli, and Moshe Safdie—are reinventing the typical terminal with eco-friendly designs and Jetsonian blueprints. Some are breaking records, including the world’s biggest airport in Istanbul and the largest indoor waterfall in Singapore’s new Jewel Changi wing. Others are taking their creativity to different corners of the globe, such as Norman Foster’s design for a new modern airport in Panama. No matter what suits your style—whether it’s Studio Gang’s sleek, almost skeletal structures, or Gensler’s retro glamour—these airports are guaranteed to make you actually enjoy a long layover.
Ilan and Asaf Ramon International Airport (Israel)
This modern airport is a mirage in the middle of the arid Negev desert outside Eilat, Israel. The $473.5 million building —courtesy of Amir Mann-Ami Shinar Architects and Moshe Tzur Architects—is an oasis thanks to its sun-soaked courtyards, floor-to-ceiling windows, and an exterior made of white aluminum panels that reflect the intense rays.
Istanbul Airport (Turkey)
The just-opened Istanbul New Airport will be bigger than Manhattan when it’s fully completed in 2027. The layout—inspired by Istanbul’s history and culture—was dreamt up by London-based firm Grimshaw, along with Haptic and Nordic. The control tower looks like a tulip (Turkey’s national flower), and the main transit hall is molded after the Bosphorus Strait.
Beijing Daxing International Airport (China)
Beijing's newest airport, the city's second, is a 7.5 million-square-foot hub that's now the world's largest single structured airport . Zaha Hadid's starfish-shaped terminal was planned for both aesthetics and efficiency, as the flexible floor plan can be adapted depending on traffic. By the firms calculations, passengers will only need to walk a maximum of eight minutes to reach any part of the airport.
Singapore Changi Airport
Safdie Architects—the masterminds behind the seminal Marina Bay Sands Singapore—pioneered the eco-friendly vision of the Changi Airport . The main highlight is the Jewel Changi, a revolutionary garden terminal with the world’s tallest indoor waterfall thundering from the top of the toroidal structure’s steel dome. The Rain Vortex is the centerpiece of the Shiseido Forest Valley, a five-story greenhouse of living walls. On the upper level is Canopy Park, a 13,000-square-meter complex of gardens, walking trails, playgrounds, and an animal topiary. It will also have 280 shops, restaurants, and a hotel.
Chicago O'Hare International Airport (Illinois)
Studio Gang beat out stiff competition, including Santiago Calatrava and Norman Foster to construct the $8.5 billion O’Hare airport extension. The new Global Terminal has a skeletal, otherworldly façade contoured like the Chicago River. The concourse’s soaring atrium will be filled with plants, a natural wood ceiling, and skylights to lend a serene vibe.
Kuwait International Airport
Acclaimed British architect Norman Foster is overseeing the state-of-the-art Kuwait International Airport. Built to withstand one of the hottest and most intense environments on earth, the structure centers around an 80-foot room that features special skylights that both brighten the halls and deflect direct radiation, a roof covered in solar panels to conserve energy, and towering concrete columns that look like traditional dhow sailboats. The project (due in 2020) is aiming to get LEED Gold standing, which would make it the first terminal in the world to do so.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (Louisiana)
Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects are behind “ The New MSY ,” a $1.1 billion terminal coming this fall. The project involves a 987-square-foot area with three concourses, 35 gates, and a three-story atrium. But the beauty is in the details—the design pays homage to NOLA, with curving canopies, glass walls, and terrazzo floors depicting the twists and turns of the Mississippi River Delta. There will also be pop-up performances throughout the terminal and a Jazz Garden for live music.
Pittsburgh International Airport (Pennsylvania)
Pittsburgh’s airport is getting a major upgrade thanks to architecture firms Gensler, HDR, and Luis Vidal. Slated for 2023, the 635-square-foot T-shaped terminal evokes a wave, with an undulating roof and rounded windows.
Tocumen International Airport (Panama)
When it opened this past January, the terminal at Tocumen could be likened to an alien spaceship. The sleek edifice—created by Norman Foster—is supposed to mirror the Panamanian landscape and bring the lush scenery indoors. At the heart of the hangar is a vibrant garden, planted with flora from Panama’s tropical forests.