U.S. President Donald Trump has unveiled conceptual renderings for a major overhaul of Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC, proposing a substantial expansion around Eero Saarinen’s landmark terminal.
The plan was announced by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) in partnership with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and United Airlines. It follows a government request for information that attracted proposals from more than 30 architecture studios, including Zaha Hadid Architects and Adjaye Associates.
Trump said he selected the designs “after an extensive review of more than 30 proposals with the top architects anywhere in the world”.
However, the project does not currently have a publicly attached architecture studio. United Airlines told Dezeen that the conceptual renderings could instead be attributed to the airline.
“The Airports Authority and United will partner on this transformation to reshape many aspects of the Dulles journey, with new and modernized facilities designed to create a smoother, more efficient and elevated experience from curb to gate, while preserving architect Eero Saarinen’s iconic main terminal design,” said United Airlines.
New structure would extend Saarinen’s Dulles terminal
The concept retains Saarinen’s 1960 terminal while placing a new sloped structure directly around it. Renderings show clerestory glazing attached to the original columned building, creating a contemporary architectural layer above and around the historic terminal.
Sloped extensions would project from both sides of the main building. The wider scheme would also introduce new airport facilities, including a large parking garage that Trump described as “the largest garage in the world”, according to NBC News.
The proposed redevelopment would add approximately 5 million square feet, or 464,515 square metres, of new space.
New check-in facilities would improve the airport’s entry sequence. The project would also introduce modernised concourses and replace the existing C and D concourses.
Dulles redevelopment targets airport circulation
A major element of the proposal is a new tunnel network designed to replace the airport’s existing people movers. These trams currently transport passengers between concourses.
The DOT said construction would take place over the next “several years”. It also announced as much as $13 billion in additional funding for the redevelopment.
“The investment of more than $20 billion represents a significant increase over the $7 billion previously allocated for the Dulles modernization program,” said the DOT.
“MWAA, working with airlines serving Dulles, will finance the new concourses and terminal facilities through municipal bonds, which offer significantly lower interest rates than bonds available to private-sector firms.”
The proposal follows a master plan announced by Dulles Airport in July 2025. It also comes after Trump criticised the airport in December, calling it “incorrectly designed” and a “terrible airport”, while praising Saarinen’s original terminal.
For now, the published material identifies the project as a conceptual proposal rather than a completed architectural commission. The DOT has not publicly identified a design studio responsible for the renderings.