page_title: Vancouver International Airport
section_title: Architecture
hierarchical_section_title: Vancouver International Airport / Distinctives / Architecture
caption_attribution_description: English: This photo was taken in the food court of the Vancouver International Airport.
context_page_description: Vancouver International Airport is an international airport in Richmond, British Columbia. It is located 12 km from Downtown Vancouver. It is the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers, behind Toronto Pearson International Airport. It is often described as a trans-Pacific hub, with more direct flights to China than any other airport in North America or Europe. It is a hub for Air Canada and WestJet, and an operating base for Air Transat. Vancouver International Airport is one of eight Canadian airports that have US Border Preclearance facilities. It is also one of the few major international airports to have a terminal for scheduled floatplanes.
  The airport has won several notable international best airport awards. It won the Skytrax Best North American Airport award in 2007 and 2010 through 2019, for a record 10 consecutive years. The airport also made the list of top 10 airports in the world for the first time in 2012, rated at 9th, 8th, and 9th overall. It is the only North American airport included in the top 10 for 2013 and 2014. YVR also retains the distinction of Best Canadian Airport in the regional results.
context_section_description: YVR's interior has a uniquely British Columbian theme, featuring one of the most extensive collections of Pacific Northwest Coast Native art in the world, and blues and greens to reflect the colours of the land, sea and sky. This theme was put in place by Vancouver-based Architectura. The airport uses a great deal of carpet and vast expanses of glass to let in large amounts of natural light. One of the most noticeable places for an arriving passenger is the International arrivals hall, a large area where customs and immigration procedures are completed. Arriving passengers come down escalators leading to a platform across a large waterfall. The YVR aboriginal art collection includes wooden sculptures and totem poles. Bill Reid's sculpture in bronze, "The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, The Jade Canoe", is displayed in the international departures area. This is the second of two castings of this sculpture; the first casting, "The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, The Black Canoe", is now displayed outside the Canadian Embassy in Washington D.C. The Institute for Stained Glass in Canada has documented the stained glass at Vancouver International Airport.
caption: Aquarium at YVR
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