Pittsburgh airport named one of world’s most beautiful
Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal was named one of the world’s most beautiful airports by a prestigious architectural organization.
France-based Prix Versailles announced Monday that Pittsburgh’s airport was named to its World’s Most Beautiful Airports list, along with six other airports from around the world.
The airports that made the list exhibit “extraordinary, distinctive architecture” and also “resolve the apparent conflict between the increasing frequency of travel and the need for speed – both central to an airport’s purpose – on the one hand and, on the other, the singularity of a form of tourism that aims to be accessible and that values people’s time in places that, in this day and age, can no longer be described as mere ‘transfer’ spaces,” said Jerome Gouadain, Secretary General of the Prix Versailles.
Pittsburgh’s $1.7 billion terminal, which opened in November, features a vast undulating roofline that emulates the Allegheny Mountains, and 38 steel columns create a canopy reminiscent of the region’s forests, Prix Versailles noted.
Glass walls let in natural light, and four outdoor terraces will soon provide travelers access to fresh air. The airport also showcases local artists, and the “Petal Tunnel” pays homage to the Fort Pitt Tunnel.
The airport’s “significantly shortened passenger distances and its inclusive comfort features make it a role model for global air travel,” Gouadain said.
“Being named to the Prix Versailles World’s Most Beautiful Airports List is an extraordinary honor and a testament to the vision, talent and determination of everyone who helped bring our new terminal to life,” said airport CEO Christina Cassotis in a statement.
The airport was deigned by architectural firms Gensler, HDR, and luis vidal + architects.
One other U.S. airport – San Diego International Airport – was selected. The six other airports honored were Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (China), Frankfurt Airport (Germany), Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport (India), Navi Mumbai International Airport (India), and Techo International Airport (Cambodia).