With the opening of Terminal 3, Frankfurt Airport is turning a new page. The terminal is more than just a major infrastructure project; it embodies a new idea: to see the airport not merely as a place of transit, but as a space for experience.
After all, travel does not begin on the plane. Today, anyone journeying through international hubs like Frankfurt spends time in the terminal – a period between departure and arrival, between anticipation and farewell. It is precisely this in-between space that has been deliberately designed in Terminal 3. Architecture, restaurants, retail, and culture intertwine in the new passenger building, making the stay itself a high-quality part of the journey.
In this way, Fraport combines its strategic vision of “Connecting the World with Tomorrow” with a cultural dimension of travel: the airport becomes a place where mobility, inspiration, and encounters come together.
The internationally renowned artist Tobias Rehberger plays a central role in this vision. The Frankfurt-based artist, a professor at the Städelschule and winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale, is serving as ‘Artist in Residence’ in Terminal 3. For many years, his works have confidently moved at the intersection of art, design, and everyday life. In the new terminal, the focus is not on artworks meant to be viewed from a distance, but on interventions in the space that become part of daily life.
The Poetry of Transition
At the heart of Rehberger’s concept lies a motif that could scarcely be more fitting for an airport: transition. Travel always involves moving between emotions, places, times, farewells, and reunions. Airports are places of transition—threshold spaces of modernity. Rehberger captures these fleeting moments and translates them into installations that accompany passengers on their journey through the terminal. One such installation, “To From,” is located in the marketplace area after passport control.
This leads to creative interventions in the space that are both poetic and playful. Phrases such as “Say Hello To Goodbye” or “In 2 Days Tomorrow is Yesterday Somewhere Else” encapsulate that peculiar temporality of travel and the feeling of being on the move, yet already elsewhere. In this way, art becomes the silent companion of departure.
Surprisingly FRA
The collaboration is guided by the motto “Surprisingly FRA.” The aim is to showcase Germany and Frankfurt from a new perspective. Internationally, Germany is often associated with efficiency, precision, and functionality. Frankfurt Airport, however, wishes to highlight another side of the country: creativity, diversity, and openness – qualities that Frankfurt embodies as World Design Capital 2026.
As one of Europe’s most important international hubs, Frankfurt Airport is the first point of contact with Germany for many travelers. The terminal thus becomes a place where international mobility and cultural identity converge.
Frankfurt itself has embodied this openness for decades, both as a globally oriented financial center and as a city with a vibrant arts and music scene. Venues such as the legendary Dorian Gray Club, once based at the airport, have played a key role in the development of electronic music and established Frankfurt as a major center for this culture.
This blend of internationalism, urban creativity, and cultural curiosity also provides the backdrop for the collaboration with Tobias Rehberger.
When Art Meets Retail
Rather than presenting art in isolation, Terminal 3 deliberately integrates it into the airport experience. At its heart lies the central marketplace, a place where shopping, dining and relaxation come together.
The shops and restaurants adopt artistic themes and become part of the overall presentation. Artistically designed steles at the entrances to the shops encourage travelers to explore the installations throughout the terminal.
This creates a space where brands, products and cultural influences engage in dialogue with one another. The airport becomes a stage for not only travel, but also encounters, inspiration and discovery.
A Long-Term Project
The collaboration with Tobias Rehberger is designed as a long-term initiative. Travelers will be able to discover the first installations as early as the opening of Terminal 3 in April 2026, with additional works to follow in other sections of the airport throughout the year.
Through this collaboration, Frankfurt Airport is emphasizing its ambition to be more than just a transport hub. It is evolving into a place where travel, commerce, and culture converge – offering passengers not only a place to depart or arrive, but also a space to find inspiration.
This is in keeping with the spirit of an exceptional passenger experience and Frankfurt Airport’s retail vision:
“The Art of Retail in the Heart of Europe.”
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