The airport was once associated with stress, queues, and general discomfort; however, over the last decade, cities worldwide have helped to take the edge off by building exceptionally designed, clean, well-functioning airports.
Now there’s a reason to get to the airport early! Here, at Architecture & Design, we’ve picked out the top ten airport lounges in international hubs worldwide, perfect for those travelers who want the journey to be as enjoyable as the destination. They’re designed to be more than just comfortable and acceptable; you’ll get to see why.
01. Finnair Offers Premium Lounge With A Unisex Sauna At Helsinki Airport Lounge
Finnair is set to open a new Premium Lounge directly adjacent to the award-winning Finnair Lounge near Gate 36 in the non-Schengen area of Helsinki Airport. The Premium Lounge, designed by the Helsinki firm dSign Vertti Kivi & Co, is a showcase for classic Nordic design in harmony with Finnish nature, with dynamic changes in light, colors, and video projections in tune with the seasons and time of day, all combining to create a unique atmosphere of calm.
The Premium Lounge is open to Finnair Plus Gold and Platinum members and their guests only, as well as to frequent flyer cardholders with equivalent status at a fellow one-world airline, including Finnair’s joint business partners American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, and Japan Airlines.
We have an excellent reason to keep flying Finnair and topping up our miles. So we can live in this new lounge. And look younger with every passing day. Or at least have excellent skin.
02. New Pay-Per-Use Lounge Opens at Singapore Changi Airport
The Haven by JetQuay is situated in the Terminal 3 Arrivals Area, making it ideal for travelers who have just arrived from a long flight and need a place to shower and rest without the expense or hassle of finding a hotel outside of the airport.
The lounge is accessible for passengers in transit, arriving passengers who have cleared Customs, and departing passengers before checking in with their airline. This is the only pay-per-use lounge available in the public area.
03. DJ David Guetta’s Lounge Club In Ibiza Airport
A club in an airport? Yep…this is pretty cool. Ibiza is famous for its parties, and now the party doesn’t need to end until you board your flight. DJ David Guetta and his wife Cathy opened a “F*** Me I’m Famous” lounge club at the Ibiza Airport in the airside area. Open 24/7; the lounge comes complete with a DJ booth, dance floor, funky furniture, and ambient lighting suited to the music.
04. Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, John F. Kennedy Airport, New York
Virgin’s 10,000-square-foot lounge at Kennedy mirrors its postmodern aesthetic, with futuristic designs that can make you forget you’re in an airport. When business calls, the Internet Bar is the place to go: iMacs await, and concierges are on hand to help facilitate document printing, address obscure cell phone–charging needs, or arrange your next meal. Food can be ordered to any seat in the lounge, though it’s perhaps better to enjoy your risotto outside the berth like sleeping pods or the Bumble and Bumble salon chairs.
05. ‘The Hub’: Its Biggest Ever Business Class Lounge, Charles de Gaulle, Paris
Arriving at Charles de Gaulle can be quite chaotic – travelers with countless suitcases heading off in different directions, multiple gateways and corridors, noise… it’s a real challenge not to get stressed! This cool and calm environment matches the onboard product and helps bring the whole brand in line with its image of ‘European Chic.’ The lounge will be launched in the summer of 2012. I hope to get a look inside the lounge, some of the elements I’d love to see in closer detail.
06. Qantas Sydney First Lounge
The Qantas Sydney First Lounge is a pre-flight departure lounge for premium Qantas customers. Located at the Sydney International Terminal, the curving facade was built to offer a 180-degree panoramic view of the boarding gates, with the city in the distance, and allows for the maximum amount of natural light to enter the space. The curving, radial shape echoed the aeronautical surroundings and was designed to inspire the romance associated with luxury travel.
07. New Rest Areas at Frankfurt Airport
If you are changing aircraft in Frankfurt, you can now take advantage of a new rest area in the new A-Plus pier. Fraport says a cozy lounge ambiance is evoked by a hardwood floor, plants, and warm light.
This rest area is the third of its kind at Frankfurt Airport, as similar facilities exist in Terminal 1 (at Gates B42/B43) and Terminal 2 (opposite Gates D1 to D4).
08. KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
It’s a perfect place to leave off since this is where many travelers begin their journeys, and it’s through these glass doors and beyond this KLM-blue desk that you want to be.
The layout is open and inviting, with modern furniture and an abundance of light thanks to the massive windows and excellent lighting every few feet. As you’d predict, most of the action happens around the bars and buffet.
09. Domestic CIP Lounge Undergoes Renovation
Turkish Airlines’ Domestic CIP Lounge at Ataturk Airport Domestic Terminal was renovated in line with a modern architectural concept. Opening in October to serve Turkish Airlines passengers in two separate lounges, one for Business & Elite Plus, the other for Elite & Classic Plus, the Lounge operates now in a more spacious venue. Following its facelift to facilitate passengers’ check-in procedures, the CIP Lounge again welcomes visitors.
10. Lounge Interior Design Ideas by SPACE Architects, Mexico City
Design Departure Lounge in the Mexico City airport, designed by SPACE Architects, has a goal that at the airport departure lounge, there is a fundamental aspect of functional spaces that work at the same time working on the definition of emotional space, most people the space to use it at work before the plane.
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