Kansai Airports and global design firm Populous have worked for more than seven years to completely reimagine the airport's floor plan, bringing a new level of efficiency and experience for travellers to Japan's west.

According to Populous senior principal and director Brett Wightman, the original Kansai International Airport (KIX) Terminal 1 wanted to make the best possible use of the existing infrastructure and maximise commercial return for Kansai Airports.

“Working closely with the facility operators, key stakeholders and end users, as well as expert retail and planning consultants, we have been able to craft a design that is built upon operational functionality, passenger convenience, accessibility and sustainability, while delivering innovative solutions that create an authentic and experiential environment with a clearly defined spirit of place,” he said.

The new Terminal 1 includes a 60% increase in the size of the international departure lounge and retail offerings, the introduction of innovative retail layouts based on passenger experiences, and the creation of a seamless processing experience.

The project has been completed in four phases to allow for continued operations of the airport, which is expected to accommodate more than 40 million passengers a year from 2025 and almost double international capacity.

In October 2022, KIX opened the new Phase 1 domestic area followed by the new international area. Phase 2 of the project was completed in December 2023, and included 6,650m2 of additional airside retail outlets, 1,130m2 of food and beverage space and a new centralised immigration area.

The Populous team and Kansai Airports completed Phase 3 on March 27, 2025, allowing the consolidation and extension of the security screening area to be ready before World Expo 2025 begins in April in Osaka.

Phase 3 includes faster, more comfortable and smoother security inspection with additional smart lanes capable of processing between 4,500 and 6,000 passengers an hour.

The new queuing management system is the first of its kind in Japan, automatically controlling flapper gates to switch waiting lines by utilising real-time passenger flow data. The system enables passengers to be automatically guided to the security inspection lanes based on the number of passengers and their flow.

A new commercial area includes 13 stores across international departures, international arrivals and a street food court.

The project has already been recognised for its architectural vision as a finalist in the 2023 World Architecture Festival Awards for Future Projects – Infrastructure.

Originally designed by world renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano, the airport is considered an architectural icon. Considered part of the high-tech architecture movement of the 1990s, KIX’s industrial design is famous for its asymmetrical clear-span sweeping aerofoil roofline. At 1.7km long, it is one of the longest airport passenger terminal buildings in the world.

Populous principal design manager, architect Jack Kato said the redesign had to respect the old while embracing new commercial opportunities for passengers.

“We broke away from the former grey colour scheme, reinvigorating the interior spaces with a palette of natural materials to give the terminal a distinctly Japanese feel, but at the same time we opened up areas like the relocated immigration hall to provide an open space reflecting the original architecture and offering an inspiring arrival experience to start each journey,” he said.

“This will transform the arrival experience of each journey into something inspirational.”

Populous led the architecture and interior design of the redevelopment, as well as overseeing the project throughout construction.

The refurbished terminal has a distinctly Japanese feel