The airport experience can make or break a vacation, and not all of them are created equal. Unfortunately for many travelers, the modern airport experience seems to be getting worse, from FAA staffing shortages to increasing delays and more. So when one wins awards for categories like "beauty," we arch an eyebrow and take notice.
Prix Versailles is "The World Architecture and Design Award," guided by the motto "Inspiration, Progress, and Inclusion." Each year, it honors the "most beautiful" global
structures, and in 2025, its top airport prize went to Yantai Penglai International Airport in China (YNT), specifically, Terminal 2, for its "balance of harmonious design and operational efficiency," according to Business Traveler. Located in Shandong Province, almost equidistant from Beijing and Shanghai, Yantai Penglai International Airport's Terminal 2 -- finished in June, 2024 -- is the airport's newest. Designed by Aedas alongside several Chinese institutes, its signature "undulating" roof was inspired by nearby Kunyu Mountain, a local landmark and, fittingly, a birthplace of Taoism, which emphasizes harmony with all things.
Yantai is a coastal city that was once greatly influential on the Maritime Silk Route. It historically connected continents in commerce and now influences the airport terminal's interior design. Dynamic coastal motifs give abstract nods to the sea, including skylights shaped like waves and shoreline-style structural curvatures made from stone. Baggage claim is surrounded by abstracted maritime wooden ships, and gate lounges are landscaped in complementary motifs. Expansive natural light flows through the skylights and a central dome, creating a multi-level atrium with an inviting and restful atmosphere while reducing energy use. The building, E-shaped to fit the natural terrain and reduce excavation, improves passenger flow for a more "serene" travel experience.
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The Prix Versailles Is A UNESCO Award
Aedas, the Hong Kong-based design firm at the forefront of Terminal 2, has established a global reputation for driving its designs via shared research, local knowledge, and cultural storytelling. The firm has won prestigious competitions, designing the Shenzhen Airport Satellite Concourse and the Third Runway Passenger building at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) -- an airport that has also received accolades -- as well as a stunning mixed-use space at Xi'an International Airport that is described as "an urban living room for the historic city." Yantai Penglai's Terminal 2 is an example of how beauty, culture, and smart design can transform travel. Once considered a quiet coastal city, Yantai is fast becoming a modern destination in northern/coastal China, and Terminal 2 adds an annual 23 million passengers and a 200,000-ton cargo capacity.
The Prix Versailles is a UNESCO-sponsored series of competitions honoring contemporary architectural projects around the world for their innovation, creativity, intelligent eco-sustainability, reflections of local heritage, and social participation. Incepted in 2015, the organization annually chooses 24 winners in eight categories: Airports, Campuses, Emporiums, Hotels, Museums, Passenger Stations, Restaurants, and Sports. Yantai Penglai's award puts the city in a prestigious class, alongside the likes of more well-known transits and on par with the most luxurious airports in the world.
Another Prix Versailles airport winner and the most beautiful airport in the U.S. for 2025 is Oregon's Portland International Airport (PDX). It has undergone a stunning architectural upgrade in recent years, and it's a favorite with travelers for its diverse food options and cleanliness. The only other U.S. airport on the 2025 Prix Versailles list was San Francisco International Airport (SFO). It's been a favorite of frequent fliers in the U.S., in part because the airport recently implemented some major changes, including a quiet policy.
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Read the original article on Islands.
