If you’re from one of those countries where train or metro stations are just a means to an end, a dreary sight that you tune out on your daily commute, you’ve likely never thought of train stations as having a ton of aesthetic value. In some places, however, special effort is made to make these transitory spaces beautiful and pleasant to be in.
The Prix Versailles, one of the world’s most prestigious and respected architecture and design awards, has just announced its prizewinners for 2025, honouring outstanding buildings in sectors like hospitality, museums, campuses and airports. This includes its list of the six most beautiful train stations of the year, which includes one in Asia.
Baiyun Station in Guangzhou, China, was opened in December 2023 and designed by Japanese architectural firm Nikken Sekkei (the second biggest architectural practice in the world!) alongside collaborators within China. Residing in the centre of northern Guangzhou’s new CBD area, the station connects high-speed railways, subway lines, and bus terminals to move hundreds of thousands of people a day.
But it’s more than just a transportation hub – it has offices, commercial facilities, serviced apartments and housing, focusing on using land efficiently to create a mixed-use building that isn’t just functional, but offers spaces for tourists and locals to relax. It has a circular walkway connecting lush green gardens, turning it into what Prix Versailles calls an ‘urban park’ that ‘unites the local community’.
The whole station is bright and airy, drawing inspiration from nature, and is built to minimise environmental impact and development costs. Its Grand Canopy is particularly impressive, with huge cantilevered eaves on the façade and a membrane that mimics the texture of petals, creating its own interpretation of Guangzhou’s official flower, the Bombax ceiba, also known as the cotton tree. This façade isn’t just a plaza, but also a playground and a running track.
Other entries on the list include the Gadigal Station in Sydney, Australia, the KAFD Station in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the Mons Station in Mons, Belgium.
2025’s most beautiful train stations, according to Prix Versailles:
- Gadigal Station in Sydney, Australia
- Mons Station in Mons, Belgium
- Baiyun Station in Guangzhou, China
- Pleyel Station in Saint-Denis, France
- Gustave Roussy Station in Villejuif, France
- KAFD Station in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Qasr Al Hokm Station in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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