December 22, 2024, 5:57 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Every year, the “Prix Versailles” architecture prize honors outstanding architecture in a commercial context. Special airports can also look forward to receiving the award this year. TRAVELBOOK presents the winners.
Whether universities, museums, or sports facilities: we come across astonishingly well-thought-out and extraordinarily beautiful buildings time and again in everyday life. And it is precisely these that the “Prix Versailles” architecture prize has been focusing on since 2015. In 2024, the prize was once again awarded in eight categories for special architecture in a commercial context. One of the categories: the world’s most beautiful airports. In 2024, six particularly architecturally appealing airports made it onto the shortlist.
Overview
The Most Beautiful Airports of 2024 Have Been Chosen
Three winners have now been chosen from these: the main winner of the “Prix Versailles” and one further winner in each of the interior and exterior categories. We show you who received the coveted awards.
Prix Versailles: Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Unsurprisingly for experts, the main prize this year goes to Abu Dhabi. A press release from the operator explains why Zayed International Airport was awarded the “Prix Versailles”. Special mention is made of the airport’s design language, which is based on Abu Dhabi’s natural and cultural heritage, and the unusual X-shape of the building.
Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi is the second-largest airport in the United Arab Emirates and the hub of the airline Etihad. According to official figures, the airport has a capacity of 45 million passengers per year; it serves 120 destinations from here with 30 airlines.
Special Interior Award: Changi Airport in Singapore
The reputation of Changi Airport in Singapore certainly precedes it, having been voted the best in the world on multiple occasions. The airport’s allure is so strong that numerous travelers en route to Asia or the Pacific deliberately plan a layover here just to experience its wonders firsthand. On its official website, the airport is described as a “destination in itself”: Here, travelers marvel at the tropical gardens, cascading waterfall, and impressive art installations, to name just a few attractions. The interior award therefore seems more than deserved!
Special Exterior Award: Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand
Inside the Midfield Satellite 1 Terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, visitors can admire art installations and traditional-style decorations. This is impressively demonstrated by the news site “Nation Thailand“. The airport’s design is inspired by the mythical “Himavanta” forest, a concept drawn from Buddhist and Hindu mythology. Nevertheless, the second Asian airport in the race was able to secure another special prize – namely in the Exterior category.
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- Prix Versailles: Zayed International Airport, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Special prize for an Interior: Changi Airport, Terminal 2, Singapore
- Special prize for an Exterior: Suvarnabhumi Airport, Midfield Satellite 1, Bangkok, Thailand
- World Selection: Felipe Ángeles International Airport, Zumpango, Mexico
- World Selection: Logan International Airport, Terminal E, Boston, USA
- World Selection: Kansas City International Airport, Kansas City, USA