5 Airport Renovations To Work Your Runway

A couple of years ago  we wrote an article  about some sexy airports in the works and it became one of our most popular blog posts ever. Sadly, the airport renovation that inspired it all – Mexico City – was soon after scrapped by public vote. However, the world keeps turning, the planes keep landing, and the airport renovations keep on coming. Here are five cunning contenders for your next layover. ??

Singapore’s Changi Airport gets a Blangy Jewel.

ETA: OPENS THIS MONTH

WHY WE LOVE IT: Changi is already considered the best airport in the world. And soon, Terminals 1-3 will be connected by a 10-storey glass canopy known as Jewel (no, not that one). It will be home to five storeys of gardens, the first Pokémon Center beyond Japan, and a ‘multisensorial’ art installation by Shiseido Cosmetics called S E N S E – it uses interactive digital technology to interact with passengers as they wander through one of Singapore’s largest indoor gardens. The showstopper, however, is the Rain Vortex. As the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, it will also light up at night with displays to complement the installation.

Abandoned TWA Terminal at JFK Reborn as TWA Hotel.

ETA: SOFT OPENING MAY 15TH

WHY WE LOVE IT: Eero Saarinen’s airport masterpiece, completed in 1962 and vacant for nearly two decades, has been renovated into one of the sexiest airport hotels we’ve ever come across. With lots of airy white space, fluid curves, and spicy pops of Chili Pepper Red, you’ll forget this place is devoted to airport runways, not fashion runways. The actual rooms are in two newly built wings, and feature SEVEN panes of glass for sound insulation. And if you’re feeling thirsty, you can grab a drink in a vintage TWA Lockheed Constellation L-1649A Starliner. Better known as the ‘Connie’, it will be one of eight bars at the hotel.

Ho Chi Minh City’s New Airport Gets Naturally Inspired.

ETA: 2025

WHY WE LOVE IT: While this is a brand new airport rather than a reno, Vietnam is set to break ground on a sublime new terminal inspired by the Lotus Flower. With an intent to capture the elegance, strength, and warm culture of Vietnamese people, the airport was designed to accommodate 100 million passengers and 5 million tons of air cargo per year. The airport will pick up the overflow for Tan Son Nhat, which currently receives 32 million passengers a year – well beyond the facility’s intended capacity of 25 million.

Chicago O’Hare Doubles Down on No. 2.

ETA: 2028

WHY WE LOVE IT: The official announcement that Studio Gang won the design competition was made just over a week ago, and construction won’t even begin until 2023. With so many metropolitan airports striving to be as futuristic as possible, we love the generous use of wood in the framing, along with all the trees peppered throughout the terminal – it literally makes getting to your gate a walk in the park. The Y-shape is an elegant nod to the city’s position on its namesake river, where it meets Lake Michigan. Called O’Hare 21, the facility doubles the capacity of the current Terminal 2 and will make a striking first impression on foreigners who touch down in the Windy City.

Siberian Airport Pitches Tents.

ETA 2021

WHY WE LOVE IT: We’ll keep this one short and sweet. Though we have no plans to visit Novy Urengoy Northwestern Siberia anytime soon, we couldn’t help but pitch several tents for the inspiration of this design (spoiler alert: it’s tents). The pointed roofs and vaulted interiors echo the shape of traditional structure called a chum that’s used by local reindeer herders.