Two Indian Terminals Earn Global Attention

Two Indian terminals have entered the Prix Versailles World Selection for airports in 2026. Navi Mumbai International Airport Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi airport in Assam are among seven sites recognised for architecture, design and their approach to passenger experience. That is a strong moment for Indian aviation. It is also important to describe the honour correctly. The terminals have been included in the global selection. Prix Versailles says its world jury awards World Titles from selected projects across categories that include airports, hotels, museums and passenger stations. This means the Indian projects have received major international recognition, but neither has been declared the single winner. The selection also includes terminals in Guangzhou, Frankfurt, Phnom Penh, Pittsburgh and San Diego. For travellers, airport beauty may sound like a bonus. Most people first want clean washrooms, short queues, clear signs and a flight that leaves on time. Yet design affects all of those experiences. A well-planned terminal can reduce confusion, bring in daylight and make a stressful journey feel calmer. That is why the recognition matters beyond attractive photographs.

NMIA Builds Around the Lotus

The Mumbai-region terminal uses the lotus as its central architectural idea. Large columns and roof forms open like petals, giving the building an identity connected with India without making it feel like a decorated exhibition hall. The design also brings together natural light, open spaces, digital installations and passenger facilities. Zaha Hadid Architects created the terminal concept. The first operational phase was designed to handle about 20 million passengers each year. The airport is part of a larger transport story. Mumbai’s existing aviation hub has carried heavy pressure for years because the metropolitan region has depended mainly on one major commercial airport. A second hub gives airlines and passengers another gateway. It can also support business and housing growth around Ulwe and nearby areas. Anyone who has crossed Mumbai during peak traffic knows that travelling to an airport can feel longer than the flight. A beautiful terminal cannot solve every road or railway problem. Public transport, road links and travel time will decide whether the new hub becomes convenient for ordinary passengers. This is the real test behind the praise. The terminal must remain easy to use when holiday crowds arrive, baggage counters fill up and several flights are called together. Architecture earns attention on opening day. Operations decide what people remember five years later.

Guwahati Brings Assam Inside the Terminal

Guwahati airport terminal 2 follows a different visual language. Its Bamboo Orchid concept draws from bamboo, the foxtail orchid and the green landscape associated with Assam. The building uses branching columns, layered ceilings, local craft references and planted spaces. Instead of giving travellers another generic glass structure, the terminal tries to tell them where they have arrived. That sense of place is valuable. Many modern airports look almost interchangeable. The same polished floors, metal seating and bright retail spaces can appear in any country. The Assam terminal takes another route. It uses regional materials and forms to connect a large transport project with local culture and biodiversity. Commercial operations began in February 2026. The expansion increased annual passenger capacity to about 13.1 million, according to the airport operator. That capacity matters because the city is an important aviation gateway for the Northeast and a connection point for travellers heading to several states in the region. The design also carries an environmental idea. Daylight, landscaping and nature-inspired interiors can make a large terminal feel less harsh. Sustainability, however, should be judged through energy use, water management, waste handling and long-term maintenance. Plants and bamboo-shaped surfaces can create a green appearance. The building must also perform responsibly.

What the Recognition Really Measures

Prix Versailles describes its programme as a meeting point between architecture, culture and intelligent sustainability. Its selected sites are treated as important contemporary public spaces, not merely as buildings that process passengers. That approach helps explain why two very different Indian terminals appear on the same list. One uses a national symbol at a new metropolitan gateway. The other draws from regional ecology, traditional craft and Assam’s identity. Both attempt to make the passenger journey part of the architecture. The selection does not mean every traveller will call either terminal the most beautiful airport in the world. Beauty remains personal. Someone running towards a closing boarding gate may care far more about clear directions than a sculpted ceiling. Still, global design recognition can change public expectations. Airports in India were once discussed mainly through delays, congestion and capacity. New projects are now also being judged on how they represent a place, manage movement and respond to environmental pressures. That shift is welcome. It also creates responsibility. Beautiful surfaces must not hide poor accessibility. A terminal should work for older travellers, children, wheelchair users and passengers who may not confidently speak English or Hindi. Food and water should remain affordable. Signs should be easy to read. Walking routes should not exhaust passengers. Good design includes dignity.

Beauty Must Work on an Ordinary Day

India’s passenger market is growing, and new terminals are appearing in cities that need stronger domestic and global connections. The challenge is to avoid copying the same design everywhere. An airport in Assam should not feel identical to one in Maharashtra. Local architecture can give each gateway its own character, provided it does not interfere with safety, movement or cost. The 2026 global selection shows that Indian projects can compete in architecture without hiding their cultural roots. It also shows how far terminal design has moved from plain halls built only to move crowds. But the real review begins after the award announcement. Passengers will judge whether baggage arrives on time. They will notice whether security queues move quickly, public transport connects properly and the buildings remain clean during the monsoon. Airport workers will judge whether the spaces are practical to operate. Airlines will look at gate access and turnaround times. The photographs create pride. Daily use creates trust.

For The United Indian

Why This Matters

At The United Indian, we see this recognition as proof that Indian infrastructure can be practical and visually confident at the same time. The two terminals deserve credit for bringing local identity into major public buildings. They should also be judged honestly once passenger volumes grow.

The Bigger Picture

India does not need airports that look impressive only during an inauguration. It needs gateways that remain clear, efficient and welcoming on an ordinary crowded Monday. The lotus and the bamboo orchid have won global attention. Now they must prove that beauty can work.