This Airport Has No Air Conditioning — Just a Clever Roof
An airport cooled by natural ventilation
At Roland Garros airport on Réunion island, the arrivals terminal uses natural ventilation instead of air conditioning. Its roof curves upward from both sides but stops short of meeting, forming a canyon that creates low pressure and funnels tropical breezes through adjustable vents, with 7.5-metre ceiling fans circulating the air. Opened in 2024, the building cuts energy bills by €150,000 a year and emissions by a factor of eight.
I took on the responsibility to prove to my management that not using air conditioning was feasible. So, from the start, we never thought of this building having air conditioning being an option. It was a risky bet, but the further we went with our studies, the more we realised that we were right.