Hassell’s 35-year design legacy shaping airports of the future

We often think of airports as a functional necessity — but what if they were something more? For over three decades, Hassell has been transforming these transit hubs into places that reflect the best of a city, places people love. What’s next?

Our 35-year legacy in airport design speaks to a holistic vision. From pioneering new bag-drop technology to developing beautiful, plaza-style arrivals halls, our unified, multi-disciplinary expertise is unique in the industry and key to building smarter, more efficient and more people-centric travel hubs for the future.

Hassell’s journey began with Melbourne International Airport and has since touched nearly every major terminal in Australia, extending across the Tasman to Christchurch International Airport in New Zealand. Our extensive portfolio includes pivotal projects such as:

• Melbourne International Airport
• Sydney’s Qantas Domestic Airport
• Sydney Airport International Forecourt 
• Melbourne Airport, The Square (T1)
• Adelaide International Airport 
• Gold Coast International Airport
• Melbourne’s Domestic Terminal 4 (T4)
• Brisbane Domestic Airport
• Perth International and Domestic Airports

WHAT MATTERS NOW: THE CHANGING PASSENGER EXPERIENCE

Driven by a commitment to innovation and placemaking that seamlessly integrates community identity with local culture and the Australian First Nations concept of connection to Country, Hassell, together with our airline and airport clients, is a pioneer in reimagining the passenger journey. 

Our design teams have introduced groundbreaking advancements, including the very first walk-through and bag-drop technology at Sydney’s Qantas Domestic Airport. This innovation, which helped the terminal win Monocle magazine’s award for Best Airport Terminal, fundamentally changed how passengers move through the space and improved the entire operational rhythm of the airport. 

“The new era in airports is about transforming a transit hub into a positive memory, an enjoyable experience. That shift in perspective changes everything.”

— Tony Grist, Principal, Hassell

Today, says Hassell Principal Tony Grist, the firm is continuing its legacy of seamlessly integrating technology into airport design. With AI driving innovation, the passenger experience is seeing a rapid improvement. ​“Your face can now be your ticket via facial recognition,” says Tony. ​“AI also assists with real-time navigation and scheduling, personalised assistants, and baggage volume predictions that allow better planning for arrivals and departures.”

Beyond these tangible improvements, Hassell helped revolutionise the passenger experience by integrating new plaza-style arrivals and departures strategies, effectively transforming terminals from mere transit points into vibrant civic spaces. Crucially, we were instrumental in introducing Australian airports to the concept of passenger experience as a holistic design strategy, pushing beyond mere functionality to cultivate environments that truly resonate with travellers, like the recently completed The Square Terminal 1 at Melbourne Airport on Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country.

A UNIFIED VISION: THE POWER OF INTEGRATED DESIGN

Hassell brings together architecture, interior and hospitality design, landscape architecture and urban design to contribute meaningfully to the full airport environment. Our integrated approach supports every aspect of the passenger experience and airport operations. 

Our landscape and public realm team, for instance, shapes vital landside solutions, exemplified by the award-winning Sydney Airport International Forecourt on Gadigal Country, a place that embodies the spirit of its location and rethinks the concept of a terminal around serenity, identity, wellbeing, inclusion and First Nations design for Country. 

A collaboration with Indigenous designers Jiwah has created a landscape that builds on the culturally significant planting of the Kamay region to create an authentic Australian arrival experience that is of its place. 

Simultaneously, our experience design team meticulously crafts the entire passenger journey, identifying and addressing passenger pain points, and creating a smoother, more human-centric flow. This is achieved by establishing key values such as care, warmth and understanding, and training staff to deliver a calming and helpful experience.

Our interiors and hospitality specialists work with our experience strategists to elevate retail and food-and-beverage environments such as Melbourne Airport’s The Square Terminal 1 and deliver sophisticated spaces like the recently completed VIP Ascent Lounge at Sydney Airport. 

Hassell’s synergistic approach ensures that from the moment of arrival to the final boarding call, every element of the airport reflects a unified vision of value and design excellence.

DESIGNING FOR TOMORROW’S AIR TRAVEL

Over the past 35 years, we’ve had the privilege of designing airports that have evolved alongside the world’s changing expectations. Today, the pace of innovation in aviation design continues to accelerate — driven by our clients’ need to prioritise sustainability, elevate the passenger experience, harness new building technologies, and explore modular solutions that improve construction and future resilience. Each airport is adapting and ultimately seeking to differentiate itself.

We know the aviation industry will continue to be shaped by shifting social, environmental, and technological forces. The next chapter for airports is a matter of both opportunity and responsibility: to design places that are not only fit for today’s travellers but adaptable for tomorrow’s. These places will balance operational efficiency with authentic local identity, regenerative design with economic growth, and flexibility with a seamless journey.

Image Credits

Top, left-to-right: The Square Terminal 1, Melbourne Airport, Melbourne, Australia. Photography by Earl Carter. Perth International Airport Check-In and Check Bag Screening Project. Photography by Adrian Lambert / Acorn Photo Agency. Brisbane Domestic Terminal Expansion, Brisbane, Australia. Photography by Simon Wood. Terminal 2, Perth Airport, Perth, Australia. Photography by Peter Bennetts. Harbin Taiping International Airport Design Competition, Harbin, China. Imagery by Hassell.

Middle row, left-to-right: Qantas Domestic Terminal, Sydney, Australia. Photography by Max Creasy. Terminal 2, Perth Airport, Perth, Australia. Photography by Peter Bennetts. Longjia International Airport Terminal T2, Jiutai City, China. Imagery by Hassell. Gold Coast Airport, Gold Coast, Australia. Photography by Scott Burrows. Sydney Airport Forecourt, Sydney, Australia. Photography by Simon Wood.

Bottom row, left-to-right: Gold Coast Airport, Gold Coast, Australia. Photography by Scott Burrows. Harbin Taiping International Airport Design Competition, Harbin, China. Imagery by Hassell. Gold Coast Airport, Gold Coast, Australia. Photography by Scott Burrows. Airport Design Competition, Sydney, Australia. Imagery by Hassell. Melbourne Airport Southern Precinct T4, Melbourne, Australia. Photography by Peter Bennetts.