Amazing geometry of runways (23 photos)

Designer Lauren O'Neill has always adored airplanes and airports. So one day, she wondered: what do they look like from above? Using Google Maps, Lauren created a photo project showcasing the astonishing geometry of runways.





Photographer Lauren O'Neill used Google Maps to look at airports from space and discovered a unique beauty in the intricate design of the runways. These views reveal stunning compositions of the world's airports, impossible to see and appreciate from Earth.

"I discovered that even the most ordinary airports or outdated terminals can have beautiful views from a bird's eye view."

Dozens of carefully cropped images reveal common features among airports. A certain logic and order is discernible in what appears to be chaotic conditions.



Kastrup, Copenhagen Airport, was built in 1925. Kastrup is the largest airport in Scandinavia.







San Francisco International Airport, USA. In addition to its direct use, its terminals also house the Louis Turpin Aviation Museum, the Airport Commission Library, and the airport lounges host permanent and temporary art exhibitions.









Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport is the main international airport in Madrid.









Zurich Airport serves over 50 international airlines.





Barcelona International Airport handles over 30 million passengers annually.





Atlanta International Airport, USA. It is the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic and takeoffs and landings. Interestingly, the majority of flights are domestic.







Airport on the island of Raivavae in French Polynesia.





Luxembourg-Findel International Airport, Luxembourg. It opened in the 1930s as a small grass airport with a relatively short, 1,000-meter runway.



Newark Liberty International Airport, USA. The United Airlines jet hijacked by terrorists took off from here at 8:01 a.m. on September 11, 2001.



Wellington International Airport, New Zealand. The airport was built in 1929. In April 2009, the airport released a new master plan for its reconstruction, covering the next 20 years and including work to expand the passenger terminal building, increase the apron area and lengthen the airport's runway.