Hamad International Airport
Architect: Aedas
Opened in 2014 and designed with sweeping curves and glass expanses, the airport is a study in high-performance architecture infused with aesthetic serenity. In 2022, it unveiled a dramatic new expansion: the Orchard Garden, a 10,000-square-meter indoor tropical environment situated within the central concourse.
This climate-controlled garden is bathed in natural light through a sculptural glass and steel canopy, hosting more than 300 trees and 25,000 plants sourced from sustainable forests around the world. The design invites travelers to move slowly - offering a space to pause, breathe, and connect with nature in the midst of global transit. The surrounding retail and lounge spaces are carefully integrated, creating a seamless flow between botanical calm and architectural efficiency.
The Orchard marks a shift in how transportation infrastructure can perform - not only in moving people and goods, but in cultivating public well-being, beauty, and ecological awareness within the context of global movement. It is a living threshold between worlds.
