Article source: Studio Fuksas

The highly anticipated new terminal at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, Guangdong, China, will be operational from the 28 November, 2013. The first airport by acclaimed architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas it is set to become an iconic landmark that will boost the economic development of Shenzhen – one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Won by international competition, it has undergone a remarkably rapid process of design and construction, completing within 3 years. The client, Shenzhen Airport (Group) Co., is so pleased with the striking design that it is taking the unusual step of trying to copyright it.

Image Courtesy © Studio Fuksas

• Architects: Studio Fuksas
• Project: International Airport, Airport Expansion Terminal 3
• Location: Shenzhen Bao’an, China
• Dates: 2008 – 2013. International competition won in 2008 over finalists including Foster + Partners (UK), Foreign Office Architects (UK), Gmp International (Germany), Kisho Kurokawa (Japan), Reiser+Umemoto (USA)
• Size: 500,000 sq.m., 5,381,955 sq.ft (approximately)
• Interior design: Fuksas Design – internet-point, check-in ‘island’, security-check, gates, passport-check areas, shop box, baggage-claim ‘islands’, info-point, ventilation trees, signage, commercial desk and washrooms
• Client: Shenzhen Airport (Group) Co., Ltd.
• Developer: Shenzhen Planning Bureau; Shenzhen Airport (Group) Co., Ltd.
• Contractor: China State Construction Engineering Corporation, Beijing, Structures, façade and parametric design: Knippers Helbig Engineering, Stuttgart, NY
• Architect of record: BIAD (Beijing Institute of Architectural Design), Beijing
• Lighting consulting: Speirs & Major Associates, Edinburgh, London
• Materials: Steel with a concrete substructure. 52,000 tonnes of steel was used, with an additional 260,000 tonnes of reinforcement. It has won the ‘Steel Gold Award (National Quality Engineering)’.
• Sustainability: The design has been optimised to make best use of natural ventilation and light. Photovoltaics will meet the electricity demand of T3, making about 950 million electricity units each year. Future photovoltaic generation is expected to reach a capacity of 10MW that will be used to support the electronic devices of the entire airport.
• Cost: 734,000,000 Euros
• Orientation: The main building includes two-storey underground and four layers above the ground (partial five storeys). The fourth floor is the departure hall. The third floor is connected with the domestic departing passengers channel and the center of it is the international joint inspection zone, luggage collection/checkpoint and the office area located on both sides. The domestic passage channel, luggage claim hall and part of the office area are on the second floor. At the north east part of the first floor is the international departure hall. Its center is used for the international joint inspection zone and also the luggage claim hall. In front of the first floor stand the CIP lounges. Between it and the main building stands the outdoor courtyard.