Pittsburgh International Airport Named One of World’s Most Beautiful Airports

The Prix Versailles officials praised the transportation hub’s sustainability features and nature-inspired architecture.

June 18, 2026

Ollie Gratzinger,

Departures area of new terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport

PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

Have you seen Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal yet? According to a world-renowned architecture and design organization, it’s worth the hype.

France-based Prix Versailles announced this week that PIT was named to its World’s Most Beautiful Airports list, joining only six other airports from around the globe. The honor is one of the most prestigious architecture and design recognitions in the world, presented in association with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, better known as UNESCO. PIT is one of only two airports in the U.S. to make the list.

The Prix Versailles recognizes outstanding contemporary projects that combine architectural innovation; creativity; integration of local, cultural and natural heritage; environmental performance and sustainability; and passenger experience and social interaction.

The award honors exceptional achievements across several categories, including airports, campuses, passenger stations, sports, museums, emporiums, hotels and restaurants.

In the  airports category, Prix Versailles celebrates terminals and airport facilities that transcend their functional role to become landmarks of architectural quality, passenger experience and environmental responsibility, highlighting designs that enhance both the traveler journey and the broader public realm, according to a press release.

“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,” Christina Cassotis, CEO of Pittsburgh International Airport, says in a statement. “This terminal was built by Pittsburghers, for Pittsburgh. It showcases our region’s innovation, craftsmanship and hospitality while creating an airport experience that reflects the character and pride of our community.”

Prix Versailles officials wrote that PIT’s vast undulating roofline is evocative of the nearby mountains, and that the airport stands as the region’s newest emblem, symbolizing its ambitions of innovation and sustainable construction.

Drafted by Gensler and HDR in association with luis vidal + architects, its design celebrates the natural landscape, with biophilic integrations blurring the line between indoors and out, airport officials say. Thirty-eight steel columns shaped like trees create a familiar, warm canopy reminiscent of the region’s forests. Inclusive of 100,000 square feet of glass walls, the space is flooded with natural light, while four outdoor terraces will soon offer travelers access to fresh air.

“This Prix Versailles recognition fills all of us Pittsburghers with immense pride,” says Luis Vidal, founder and president, luis vidal + architects, in a statement. “Pittsburgh is a city of extraordinary history: it produced much of the steel that built the modern world, gave rise to cultural institutions of global significance and, along with the region, has repeatedly reinvented itself with remarkable resilience.”

Prix Versailles officials also wrote in their public recognition that PIT is representative of the region’s heritage, showcasing local artists, and that its energy efficiency, significantly shortened passenger distances and inclusive comfort features make it a “role model for global air travel.”

“Whether they have newly appeared on the horizon or undergone a major renovation, contemporary airports and airport terminals are innovative, inescapable hallmarks of their regions and their eras,” Jérôme Gouadain, secretary general of the Prix Versailles, says of this year’s honorees. “In the amalgamation of architecture that they display, airports are becoming attractive settings, emblems of economic, cultural and social dynamics that will continue to shape the societies of tomorrow, draw them together and unify them.”

Additionally, three airports from the 2026 list will also receive a World Title, which will be awarded at the end of the year.

Opened in November 2025, the $1.7 billion terminal modernization project transformed PIT into a more efficient, intuitive and welcoming airport, incorporating sustainable design elements, artwork from both local and international artists and passenger-focused innovations throughout the facility.

Airport officials say that the Prix Versailles recognition further cements PIT as a global leader in airport innovation and design, and adds another feather in the cap of the new terminal. As the “front door to the region,” PIT aims to redefine what an airport can be — serving as an economic engine, a showcase for Pittsburgh and a model for the future of aviation infrastructure, officials add.

“The new Pittsburgh International Airport conveys a sense of place and welcomes Pittsburgh residents and visitors alike in a way that could only happen here, driven by the world-class vision of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, developed by a world-class team of designers and construction managers, and built by the people of this region,” said Bill Peduzzi, senior vice president, aviation market sector director at HDR. “The new airport reflects Pittsburgh’s impressive heritage as well as its future as a region that brings the best ideas together. It shows that tomorrow can be better than today, and that if you want to be a part of building the world of tomorrow, that journey goes through PIT.”

In addition to PIT, the list includes: