Light, land and legacy: a conversation between the concept design leads of Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport

This article captures key excerpts from a panel discussion held at the unveiling of the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport terminal, featuring design leads David Holm of COX Architecture and Cristiano Ceccato of Zaha Hadid Architects. The panel offered insight into the vision, emotion and purpose behind the terminal’s concept design. 

David Holm, Principal, COX: From the beginning, our focus was on creating a true sense of place—something grounded in Western Sydney but also that looks into the future, capturing the region’s cultural richness and future as a multicultural heartland. About seven years ago, Cristiano and I trespassed—perhaps infamously—onto the site, in search of some bark. We held that beautiful, curled gum bark up to the sky and watched the sunlight pour through it.

From here, we thought: what if the terminal could feel like walking through this landscape? We wanted to channel the Cumberland Plain and bring natural light – the Great Australian Light – deep into the building. Many terminals don’t have that same access to natural light. But here, the idea of that unique, crisp Australian light, just like the light we saw with this morning’s sunrise, was a key feature.

But here, when visitors arrive, often jetlagged and disoriented, they’ll be greeted by warmth, openness and sunlight. It feels like a warm welcome and very much Australian – and that was always our intent.

Cristiano Ceccato, Director, Zaha Hadid Architects: That sensitivity to place was essential. While our studio has worked on airport projects across four continents, each one is unique.

When working outside your home country, you need humility—and a willingness to deeply listen. As David reminded me, Western Sydney is not the harbour city. It is its own layered, diverse and evolving place. We had to understand that, and we endeavoured to learn this through conversations with local communities, including Traditional Owners, and through walking on the land itself.

Designing a terminal like this goes beyond solving complex architectural challenges. It’s a civic project at heart. Airports are where people from around the world converge. And when people come together, they realise how much they share. In a world often divided, that kind of civic space becomes powerful.

David: For us, this was also about public space—real civic generosity. We deliberately avoided creating a boundary building. The idea was openness, permeability. We used Australian architectural metaphors—like the veranda—as cues to invite people in. Over time, this place will become part of the new Western Parkland City. It’s not just about travel. It’s about work, play, recreation, training. A real place for people.

Cristiano: It’s also designed to grow—both physically and emotionally. From a pragmatic standpoint, we designed a terminal that can expand and adapt without needing to be dismantled, which makes it resilient. But there’s also the emotional longevity. This place needs to become personally iconic, somewhere that you map your own memories against. It might be the first airport you travel through as a child, to meet somebody, or that you associate with a big life moment. That’s what gives a place lasting meaning.

We aimed for a certain elegant simplicity. A design that’s calm, intuitive, open – and together with all our partners, I think we achieved it.

Learn more about our design for Western Sydney International Airport here.