‘We wanted to prove we didn’t need air conditioning’: the airport cooled by natural ventilation
25. September 2026 um 06:00
At Roland Garros airport on Réunion island, the ceiling design funnels a light tropical breeze into the terminal
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.
What they may have also expected was the icy chill of air conditioning; this island just off Madagascar sits in the tropical zone to the south of the equator. But instead, the terminal is cooled by a light tropical breeze, the result of natural ventilation built into its unique design.
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© Photograph: Studio Lumière

© Photograph: Studio Lumière

© Photograph: Studio Lumière