Shenzhen Airport Terminal 3 by Studio Fuksas opens today

Reaching completion within three years, Studio Fuksas' Terminal 3 at the Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport in Guangdong, China will begin operation starting today, Nov. 28.

Architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas won the 2008 competition to design the terminal over finalists that included Foster + Partners, Foreign Office Architects, gmp, Kisho Kurokawa, and Reiser+Umemoto.

Studio Fuksas is also working on two additional stages for the airport's expansion, expected to be complete in 2025 and 2035.

Here are some photos of the new terminal.

Project description from Studio Fuksas:

"The terminal – the largest single public building to be built to date in Shenzhen - encompasses 63 contact gates, with a further 15 remote gates and significant retail space. It will increase the capacity of the airport by 58%, allowing the airport to handle up to 45 million passengers per year."

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."

"The sculptural 500,000 sq.m. / 5,381,955 sq.ft (approx.) terminal, evokes the image of a manta ray and features a striking internal and external double ‘skin’ honeycomb motif that wraps the structure.

The focal point of the design is the concourse located at the intersection of the building. Consisting of three levels – departure, arrivals and services – they vertically connect to create full height voids, allowing natural light to filter from the highest level down to the lowest."

 "At 1.5 km long, with roof spans of up to 80m, honeycomb shaped metal and glass panels punctuate the façade of the terminal allowing natural light to filter through."

"The honeycomb motif translates through into many aspects of the interior and at different scales – from the larger retail boxes to smaller 3D imprints in the wall cover."

"On the interior, the terminal is characterized by distinctive white conical supporting columns that rise to touch the roof at a cathedral-like scale."

"Stand-out features of the interior design include stylized white ‘trees’ that serve as air conditioning vents, and check-in ‘islands’, gates and passport-check areas with a stainless steel finish that beautifully reflect the honeycomb patterns from above."

"The Studio Fuksas designed Terminal 3 is of critical importance to the future of Shenzhen as a booming business and tourist destination, and will bring benefits to the region as a whole."

Images © Studio Fuksas