The World Architecture Festival hands out its Building and Interior of the Year titles every year, but it also spotlights the most futuristic and impressive architectural concepts the world has to offer. And this year, its Future Project of the Year crown went to Gelephu International Airport in Bhutan.
The Future Project of the Year award goes to buildings that don’t exist yet, and Gelephu International Airport won’t open until 2029. Dreamed up by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, the beautiful, light-dappled airport will be the country’s second international hub, starting with 123 daily flights and eventually handling 5.5 million passengers a year by 2065.
Bhutan is a country known for its awe-inspiring landscapes with stunning mountain ranges, sparkling rivers, and green valleys, and the airport leans right into that natural beauty. Its diagrid structure forms peaks that look like a mountain range, built from locally and sustainably sourced timber carved with traditional Bhutanese motifs. Its facade also nods to the Kachen, a sacred structural wooden pillar.
Travellers will enter through a landscaped plaza split into four zones, each celebrating a local native plant species. The ‘Forest Spine’, a lush interior courtyard full of treetop walkways and native flora, will divide the domestic and international terminals. The design taps passive climate-responsive strategies inspired by traditional Bhutanese architecture: timber structures that regulate humidity, ventilated roofs and courtyards that promote airflow, and eaves that offer shade and protection from monsoon rains.
Bhutan’s regional crafts also get their time in the spotlight here. Carpentry, carving, painting, and weaving is woven into every intricate detail from the exterior to the interior. As part of Bhutan’s Gelephu Mindfulness City masterplan, the space is designed to inspire mindfulness in travellers through natural lighting – expect skylights, floor-to-ceiling windows, and giant entryways. There are also indoor and outdoor lounges for yoga, gong baths, and meditation.
Check out the other 2025 winners of the World Architecture Festival here.
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