Sydney's New Airport Is a Stunning Ode to Australia's Natural Wonders
In 2026, Australia will open the doors to a newly built international airport for the first time in over 50 years—and it's so stunning you might actually want to spend hours in the terminal.
Western Sydney International Airport (WSI), slated to debut next year, has just reached its most important milestone yet: Major construction on the terminal is now complete, and its designers have unveiled a first look at the airport's beautiful interior.
WSI is located in Sydney's Badgerys Creek neighborhood, approximately a 35-minute drive west from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD), Australia's busiest air travel hub. Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and COX Architecture and constructed by Woods Bagot, Multiplex, and Bechtel, the $5.3 billion project aims to pay homage to Australia's natural wonders while also providing an innovative passenger experience.
'The ambition was to create an airport that is not just a transit space but a destination in itself,' Neil Hill, Wood Bagot's principal design lead for WSI, said. "The terminal offers a constantly evolving visual experience and sense of joy as passengers move through the space and experience the intricate detail at a human scale—while elsewhere you might find yourself in a soaring triple-height void with uncluttered panoramic views.'
The airport has one terminal that will be home to both international and domestic gates, allowing for easier connections.
Brett Boardman
When it opens, Western Sydney Airport will operate 24 hours a day. The single building will be home to airlines like Qantas, Singapore Airlines, and Air New Zealand, with both the international and domestic gates located in one terminal for easier connections.
Airports are notoriously known as incubators of stress, but WSI hopes new technology will help eliminate major pain points. For example, travelers will be able to track their checked luggage with a dedicated app thanks to a cutting-edge baggage handling system.
The terminal's designers also sought to create a visually soothing space by taking architectural cues from nature. Most noteworthy is the undulating sculptural ceiling made of wooden slats that filter light in a way that mimics sunlight shining through eucalyptus bark, a hallmark of the region's UNESCO-recognized Blue Mountains Area.
'The 'Great Australian Light' is one of the defining qualities of the Australian experience, and it has been central to our design thinking,' David Holm, principal and design lead at COX, said. 'The way light filters through the terminal shapes how people move, orient and feel—creating a sense of calm, clarity and connection. For many, this space marks their very first encounter with Australia, and we wanted that experience to feel unmistakably grounded in place.'
References to the region's natural wonders can also be found in the terminal's sprawling horizontal form, which is meant to reflect the nearby Cumberland Plain. Designers also worked to bring the outdoors to the terminal's interior by incorporating natural materials from the region, like sandstone sourced from Australia's Central Coast.
The undulating ceiling is made of wooden slats designed to mimic the 'Great Australian Light,' imbuing the terminal with a sense of place.
Trevor Mein
Additional design elements include triple-height ceilings and walls of windows offering panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, as well as details that highlight Australia's Aboriginal and First Nations cultures. In fact, the design was finalized in consultation with Western Sydney's Dharug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation. "People will love spending time in this terminal as they enjoy the iconic vistas of the surrounding Blue Mountains,' Simon Hickey, CEO of WSI Airport, said. "Visitors will be welcomed by the stories of Dharug country that will connect the world with more than 60,000 years of Aboriginal culture while also highlighting the vibrant communities of Western Sydney.'
From a sustainability perspective, the terminal is outfitted with more than 6,000 solar panels on its roof that will provide renewable electricity to the facility, as well as a climate-responsive facade, natural ventilation, and water recycling.
Although the major construction on the terminal is finished, work on interior areas such as the retail shops and airline lounges still needs to be completed. The new facility is on track to open to its first passengers in late 2026.
'This is a rare opportunity to define the next generation of airport design on a global stage,' Cristiano Ceccato, director and design lead for Zaha Hadid Architects, said. 'Together with COX, we created a design that meets the highest standards of architectural innovation, passenger experience, and operational efficiency.'
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