An airport cooled by natural ventilation

The roof of the terminal, which opened in 2024, curves upwards from each of the rectangular building’s long sides in gentle waves. Photograph: Studio Lumière The roof of the terminal, which opened in 2024, curves upwards from each of the rectangular building’s long sides in gentle waves. Photograph: Studio Lumière The alternatives Green building ‘We wanted to prove we didn’t need air conditioning’: the airport cooled by natural ventilation At Roland Garros airport on Réunion island, the ceiling design funnels a light tropical breeze into the terminal

Rachel Savage Fri 25 Sep 2026 01.00 EDT Last modified on Fri 25 Sep 2026 13.21 EDT Share Prefer the Guardian on Google At the arrivals terminal at Roland Garros airport on Réunion island, visitors are greeted by floor-to-ceiling windows framing the lush green mountains of the French Indian Ocean territory.