Terminal 1 dining area. Photo by Karl Nielsen, courtesy of SFO
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UNESCO’s prestigious Prix Versailles awards recently ranked our own San Francisco International Airport (SFO) at #1 on a list of the World’s Most Beautiful Airports.
The designation specifically went to SFO’s Harvey Milk Terminal 1, whose recent renovation fully opened to the public only in the last 5 years or so.
Here’s a closer look.
Priority pass lounge in Terminal 1. Courtesy of SFO The World’s Most Beautiful Airport
Harvey Milk Terminal 1 is SFO’s newest terminal for domestic flights, serving Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and more.
It recently underwent a multi-billion dollar redevelopment to add remodeled departure gates, facades, ticket counters, and museum galleries honoring Harvey Milk. In June 2024, SFO finished the final phase of the project, revealing a new check-in lobby, mezzanine security checkpoint, aircraft gates, and walkway.
“With its 25 new boarding gates, Terminal 1 is the fruit of an ambitious transformation,” wrote Prix Versailles in a press release.
“With soft natural light filtering through to every level, the new terminal provides a soothing, restorative setting for travellers.”
Prix Versailles also pointed out the building’s 79% carbon footprint and 59% energy usage reductions.
Terminal 1 oculus. Photo by Karl Nielsen, courtesy of SFO Prix Versailles
The Prix Versailles is a serious of architectural competitions that award world titles to a range of projects including airports, campuses, museums, hotels, and more.
The list has been announced each year at UNESCO since 2015, celebrating achievements in sustainability, innovation, creativity, and local heritage.
Only a handful of other U.S. locations made the list of laureates:
Intuit Dome, Los Angeles (#2 World’s Most Beautiful Sports) Caesars Superdome, New Orleans (#6 World’s Most Beautiful Sports) Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha (#3 World’s Most Beautiful Museums, Special prize for an Exterior) Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland (#7 World’s Most Beautiful Museums) Longchamp SoHo, New York (#8 World’s Most Beautiful Emporiums) The Manner, New York (#15 World’s Most Beautiful Hotels) Beefbar, New York (#15 World’s Most Beautiful Restaurants) Japón, Miami Beach (#16 World’s Most Beautiful Restaurants)
🌐 Learn more: Prix-Versailles.com