Airports are no longer simply places of transit. As passenger expectations evolve, terminals are becoming experience-led environments that prioritise comfort, wellbeing and a strong sense of place alongside operational efficiency.
For architects and interior designers, this shift presents new opportunities – and challenges. Airport interiors must withstand millions of passenger journeys every year while creating spaces that feel welcoming, intuitive and comfortable. Material selections are increasingly being asked to do more, balancing durability, sustainability, acoustic performance and aesthetics.
From sensory-friendly spaces and high-performance materials to sustainability and hospitality-inspired interiors, these are the key trends shaping the future of airport design.
1. Designing for Acoustic Comfort and Sensory Wellbeing
While airports are inherently busy environments, acoustics play a critical role in shaping how passengers experience a space.
Research consistently shows that excessive noise contributes to stress and fatigue. In response, airports are increasingly incorporating acoustic treatments and dedicated quiet zones that help manage reverberation, improve speech intelligibility and create more comfortable environments for travellers.
A recent Australian example is Adelaide Airport's Sensory Room, a quiet space designed to support travellers who may find noise, bright lights or crowds overwhelming. Featuring adjustable soft lighting, comfortable seating, calming visual displays and tactile elements, the room provides a refuge from the busy terminal environment and reflects a growing focus on inclusive, passenger-centred design.
This trend is echoed globally. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) offers yoga rooms where travellers can relax before their flight, while Istanbul Airport has introduced sensory-friendly rooms and quiet zones. Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport includes meditation spaces, and Singapore Changi Airport is widely regarded as a benchmark for passenger-centred terminal design, integrating acoustic comfort, biophilic design and wellness-focused environments throughout its terminals.
As demand for these spaces grows, designers are increasingly looking to acoustic treatments to create calmer, more comfortable environments. Zintra’s Acoustic wall and ceiling solutions help reduce noise and improve comfort in waiting areas, lounges and circulation spaces, while materials that combine acoustic performance with durability are particularly valuable in high-traffic airport settings. Solutions such as Enercee, provide acoustic benefits alongside impact resistance and Group 1 fire performance, helping designers create more comfortable passenger environments without compromising long-term durability.
Related reading: Introducing Enercee: Performance-Driven Acoustic Panels for Demanding Environments.
2. Specifying Materials Built for High-Traffic Environments
Few interior environments place greater demands on materials than airports.
Constant passenger traffic, luggage movement, cleaning regimes and operational activity can quickly take a toll on interior finishes. As a result, durability and lifecycle performance have become increasingly important considerations during the specification process.
Designers are prioritising materials that can withstand impact, resist staining and maintain their appearance over time, helping airport operators reduce maintenance costs and minimise disruption to terminal operations.
Wall protection solutions, are becoming an essential component of airport design, particularly in high-traffic circulation spaces, gate areas and service corridors. High-performance protection systems such as P3TEC provide superior impact, chemical, abrasion and stain resistance while helping preserve the appearance of interior surfaces over the long term.
The goal is not only to create visually appealing spaces on opening day, but to ensure they continue performing for years to come.
3. Creating Flexible, Multi-Functional Spaces
Modern terminals must accommodate a diverse range of passenger needs, from short layovers and business travel to family holidays and extended waiting periods.
To support this flexibility, designers are increasingly seeking materials that can perform across multiple applications while maintaining a cohesive visual language throughout the terminal.
Versatile products such as Xorel are particularly well suited to this approach. Used across upholstery, wallcoverings, wrapped acoustic panels and operable walls, Xorel allows designers to create consistency throughout a project while simplifying specification and maintenance requirements.
Its exceptional durability, sustainability credentials and Group 1 fire rating make it a popular choice for public infrastructure environments where performance is just as important as aesthetics.
As terminals continue to evolve, the ability to create adaptable, multi-purpose environments will become increasingly important.
4. Balancing Sustainability, Indoor Air Quality and Durability
Sustainability remains a major priority for airport operators, but today's approach extends beyond embodied carbon and recycled content. Increasingly, designers are considering how materials contribute to healthier indoor environments while also delivering long-term performance.
Indoor air quality is an important consideration in high-occupancy spaces such as airport terminals. Low-emission materials can help support healthier environments and align with sustainability and wellbeing-focused design frameworks.
Durability is also increasingly recognised as a sustainability strategy. Materials that maintain their appearance and performance over longer periods help reduce replacement cycles, minimise waste and lower lifecycle costs.
Crypton upholstery fabrics, for example, combine exceptional durability with sustainability-focused credentials, including GREENGUARD Gold certification for low chemical emissions and PFAS-free technology. Similarly, long-lasting, multi-purpose materials such as Xorel can contribute to more sustainable outcomes by reducing the need for replacement across a wide range of applications.
5. The Rise of Hospitality-Led Airport Design
One of the most significant shifts in airport design is the adoption of hospitality-inspired principles.
Rather than focusing solely on moving passengers efficiently through a terminal, airports are increasingly creating environments that encourage comfort, relaxation and a sense of place. Lounge-style seating, premium finishes and thoughtfully designed waiting areas are helping transform terminals into destinations in their own right.
This trend can be seen at Adelaide Airport, where Woods Bagot selected Baresque’s Napoli Silicone upholstery for passenger experience enhancement projects throughout the terminal. The specification reflects a growing emphasis on creating spaces that balance comfort and aesthetics with the durability required in a high-traffic public environment.
As travellers spend more time in terminals, the quality of seating, finishes and shared spaces is becoming increasingly important. The result is a new generation of terminals that feel less like transport infrastructure and more like welcoming, people-focused destinations.
Designing the Next Generation of Airport Experiences
The future of airport design is about more than moving people efficiently from one destination to another. It is about creating environments that support wellbeing, deliver memorable experiences and perform under the demands of modern travel.
For architects and interior designers, achieving this balance requires thoughtful consideration of acoustics, durability, flexibility, sustainability and comfort. By selecting materials that address these challenges holistically, design teams can create airport environments that enhance the passenger journey while standing the test of time.
As Australian airports continue to invest in passenger experience, the most successful terminal designs will be those that combine operational performance with a genuinely human-centred approach to design.