“A symbol of place, its soaring aerodynamic roof and its dragon-like form
celebrate the thrill and poetry of flight. Its gold roof resonates with
the Forbidden City, while the striking interior palette of red through
orange to yellow evokes traditional Chinese colors.”
Lord Foster, Foster Partners.



Photo © Nigel Young / Foster Partners
Designed and completed in only four years, Terminal 3 at Beijing
Capital International Airport opened ahead of schedule for the 2008
Olympics. The world’s largest building and most advanced airport, the
new terminal offers an unparalleled traveling experience, not only
technologically, but also in terms of operational efficiency, passenger
comfort, sustainability and access to natural light.



Photo © Michael Weber



Photo © Michael Weber
Comprising three connected, light-filled volumes - T3A, B and C -
the simple, symmetrical diagram fans out at either end to accommodate
the arrivals and departure halls for T3A, processing terminal and
domestic gates, and T3B, international gates. The satellite T3C,
domestic gates, occupies the centre of the diagram. This arrangement is
an efficient means of maximizing the perimeter, so increasing the
capacity for aircraft stands, while maintaining a highly compact and
sustainable footprint.
Although the length from north to south is three and a quarter
kilometers, the visual links between the three elements are maintained
by strong sight lines as well as visual connections between the lower
level and an open mezzanine level above.



Photo © Michael Weber
All spaces are naturally lit and the generous glazing and skylights
maintain a link with the outside and its changing sky. Views along the
central axis are marked by the distinctive red columns, which continue
along the external edges of the building into the distance, evocative
of traditional Chinese temples.



Photo © Michael Weber



Photo © Michael Weber



Photo © Michael Weber



Photo © Michael Weber
The embracing curved cantilever of the terminal greets passengers
arriving by road or from the GTC in a single welcoming gesture.
Departures and arrivals are on separate levels. The traditional airport
diagram has been inverted at T3B, with arrivals on the upper level, to
allow visitors to Beijing to experience the thrill of this dramatic
space from the best vantage point.



Photo © Michael Weber
The single unifying roof canopy is perforated with skylights to aid
orientation and bring daylight deep into the building. The color
palette moves through 16 tones from red at the entrance at T3A through
to orange and finally yellow at the far end of T3B. This establishes a
subtle zoning system that breaks down the scale of the building and
enables easy orientation.



Photo © Michael Weber
The roof is a steel space frame with triangular roof lights and
colored metal decking. It curves, rising at the midpoint to create a
dramatic central cathedral-like space, and tapering towards the edges
of the building to provide more intimate areas as passengers travel
towards the gates and the aircraft piers. The trusses that support the
glazing echo the changing color system in the roof – shifting from red
to orange to yellow. The high transparency of the curtain walling is
made possible by extra large mullions, which are generously spaced to
allow larger spans of suspended glazing.



Photo © Michael Weber



Photo © Michael Weber



Photo © Michael Weber



Photo © Michael Weber
Connections between T3A and T3B take place on a high speed
automated people mover (APM) which travels at up to 80kph, with a
journey time of just two minutes. The APM is easily accessed from the
main departure level and set within a landscaped “green” cutting,
exposed to daylight and views up and through the building, all of which
helps to maintain a sense of orientation.


Photo © Michael Weber



Photo © Michael Weber
“It is one of the world’s most advanced buildings in
environmental terms, incorporating a range of passive environmental
design concepts, such as the south-east orientated skylights, which
maximize heat gain from the early morning sun, and an integrated
environment-control system that minimizes energy consumption and carbon
emissions. In construction terms, it was designed to optimise the
performance of materials selected on the basis of local availability,
functionality, application of local skills, and low cost procurement.”
Lord Foster, Foster Partners.
The first building to break the one million square meter barrier,
it will accommodate an estimated 50 million passengers per annum by
2020. Although conceived on an unprecedented scale, the building’s
design aims to resolve the complexities of modern air travel, combining
spatial clarity with high service standards. It is friendly and
uplifting for passengers as well as easy to navigate.



Drawing courtesy Foster Partners

Site Plan


Sketch courtesy Foster Partners

Sketch


Drawing courtesy Foster Partners

Plan


Drawing courtesy Foster Partners

Cross Section


Drawing courtesy Foster Partners

Longitudinal Section[/size]
Total airport site area: 4,700 hectares
(existing airport site the Terminal 3 expansion project)
Total area T3 expansion: 1,306,000 square meters
T3A Area: 515,000 square meters
T3B Area: 387,000 square meters
T3C Area: 84,000 square meters
GTC Area: 320,000 square meters
Completed: 2008
Client: Beijing Capital International Airport Company Ltd.
Joint Venture NACO Foster Arup
Architect: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Norman Foster
Mouzhan Majidi
Brian Timmoney
Loretta Law
Steven Chiu
Jonathan Parr
Michael Gentz
Luke Fox
Richard Hawkins
Mark Atkinson
John Ball
Cara Bamford
Alan Chan
Young Wei-Yang Chiu
Roberto Davolio
Marcos De Andres
Rodrigo de Castro Pereira
Gunnar Dittrich
Wulf Duerrich
Andrea Etspueler
Tie Fan
Colin Foster
Kristin Fox
Marco Gamini
Gabrielle Ho
Darryn Holder
Da Chun Lin
Jun Luo
Andy McMullen
Justin Nicholls
David Picazo
Sean Roche
Riko Sibbe
Danny Sze
Pearl Tang
William Walshe
Joyce Wang
Irene Wong
Shyue-Jiun Woon
Zheng Yu
Jean Wenyan Zhu
Local collaborating architect: (LDI)
BIAD (Beijing Institute of Architectural Design)
Airport Consultant: NACO
Structural & Mechanical Engineers: Arup
Landscape Architect: Michel Desvigne
Photographed by [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] arcspace features
theo arcspace.com