10/26/2017 Terminal 3 at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport by Studio Fuksas

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Studio Fuksas completes Terminal 3 at Shenzhen

Bao'an International Airport 1 Trump wall prototypes pop up
near US-Mexico border

Amy Frearson | 26 November 2013 | 15 comments 2 "Does architecture have a

Harvey Weinstein hiding within
its ranks?"
Thousands of hexagonal skylights bring natural light into this new
terminal that Italian architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas
have completed at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport in China (+ 3 Meganom gains permission for
skinny supertall skyscraper in
slideshow). Manhattan

4 Small Architecture Workshop's

charred-wood sauna floats on
Swedish lake

5 Ortraum Architects creates

home with trapeze, climbing
wall and hammock

Fuksas Studio's Rhike Park

building features two conjoined
glass and steel tubes

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10/26/2017 Terminal 3 at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport by Studio Fuksas

Walls of glass, stone and wood

line courtyards at Pitsou
Kedem's House F

Terminal 3 more than doubles the capacity of the existing airport,

which is located 32 kilometres north-west of Shenzhen's city centre.
It is set to open later this week and will facilitate up to 45 million
passengers per year.

Studio Fuksas looked at the shapes of various living creatures when

planning the layout of the complex. "The concept of the plan for
Terminal 3 of Shenzen Bao'an international airport evokes the image
of a manta ray, a fish that breathes and changes its own shape,
undergoes variations, [and] turns into a bird to celebrate the emotion
and fantasy of a flight," said the architects.

Skyscraper competition proposal

involves erecting towers within
world's largest trees

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10/26/2017 Terminal 3 at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport by Studio Fuksas

A curving roof canopy constructed from steel and glass wraps around Delordinaire raises High House
the airport, accommodating spans of up to 80 metres. Hexagonal above snowy Quebec
skylights perforate the surface of this roof, allowing natural light to
filter through the entire terminal.
countryside to protect an
outdoor lounge

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This pattern, which the architects describe as a honeycomb, is

reflected in the polished tile floor, as well as on the stainless steel Subscribe to
check-in desks and gates designed especially for the airport by Studio
Fuksas. our newsletters

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Limestone walls define sequence

of courtyards at Arizona desert
home by MASAstudio

"The interiors have a sober profile and a stainless steel finish that
reflects and multiplies the honeycomb motif of the internal skin," said
the architects.

Nordic doubles the size of Oslo

Airport with curved pier
extension

The concourse is divided across three levels, allowing separate floors

for arrivals, departures and servicing, and voids in the floor-plates
create a series of double- and triple-height spaces.

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10/26/2017 Terminal 3 at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport by Studio Fuksas

Cylindrical white columns are positioned at intervals to support the

arching roof and sit alongside air-conditioning vents designed to look
like chunky trees.

This is the first airport by Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, whose

previous projects include the Lyce Georges Frche school for hotel
management in France and Foligno Church in Italy. The architects Coop Himmelb(l)au pairs straight
are now working on two further extensions to the airport, which will
and curving lines for
complete in 2025 and 2035.
contemporry art complex

Latticed framework incorporates

seating around the edges of
Read on for more information from the design team: Shenzhen hotel and cultural
centre
Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, Terminal 3
The highly anticipated new terminal at Shenzhen Bao'an
International Airport, Guangdong, China, will be operational from
the 28 November, 2013.

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10/26/2017 Terminal 3 at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport by Studio Fuksas

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.

Dezeen Jobs

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.

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10/26/2017 Terminal 3 at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport by 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 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. At
1.5 km long, with roof spans of up to 80m, honeycomb shaped metal
and glass panels punctuate the faade of the terminal allowing natural
light to filter through. On the interior, the terminal is characterised by
distinctive white conical supporting columns that rise to touch the
roof at a cathedral-like scale.

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

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10/26/2017 Terminal 3 at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport by Studio Fuksas

voids, allowing natural light to filter from the highest level down to
the lowest.

Studio Fuksas has created an interior, as striking and elegant as the

exterior. The spatial concept is one of fluidity and combines two
different ideas: the idea of movement and the idea of pause. Carefully
considering the human experience of such environments, Studio
Fuksas focused on processing times, walking distances, ease of
orientation, crowding, and availability of desired amenities.

Stand-out features of the interior design include stylised 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.

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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.

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10/26/2017 Terminal 3 at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport by Studio Fuksas

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.

Studio Fuksas are engaged on two further phases of the airport

extension, scheduled to complete in 2025 and 2035 respectively.
Read more Airports China Infrastructure Shenzhen
Slideshows Studio Fuksas

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750dc a year ago

Amazing!
Reply Share

QU Xiaofeng 4 years ago

When it rains, the plastic buckets are more than travellers. There is a reason why we build roof
as a plain concrete board.
Reply Share

erik 4 years ago

Looks very unique at first. Bit of a fashion piece. One has to admit there is rigour in the
expression. Not so easy on the eye indeed. Let's wait and see, in a few years time. What looks so
exiting today looks dated and dusty tomorrow. Little building resilience against ageing it
seems. No maintenance culture in China, too many wicked surfaces for that matter. Hong Kong
Terminal 1 still looks good and very solid on the inside for that matter, 15 years on.
3 Reply Share

Stu 4 years ago

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10/26/2017 Terminal 3 at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport by Studio Fuksas

I don't know if that works from the perspective of someone with poor visibility - the
differentiation between surfaces is hard to read with the reflectance. Clearly no regard for LRV
values on that project. It's still nice though :)
1 Reply Share

ignorant 4 years ago

Does somebody know how many designers are needed to develop a project like this one? And
which software/s could they have possibly used?
Reply Share

minwix 4 years ago

An airport that looks like a giant airplane from above... I can dig it.
Reply Share

mikele 4 years ago

Nice.
2 Reply Share

Jonathan 4 years ago

Look forward to flying directly to SZ now instead of HK. This looks much better than the
current airport and matches the stadium nicely too. I hope they designed a better taxi rank area
than the old airport.
Reply Share

js > Jonathan 4 years ago

What's wrong with the old taxi rank? :)
Reply Share

Steeevyo 4 years ago

Nice if you are not an epileptic. Health concerns follow form - a new paradigm in architecture.
11 Reply Share

Chuck Anziulewicz > Steeevyo 4 years ago

That's what I was thinking. The interior is not exactly easy on the eyes. As much of a
pain in the ass that commercial air travel already is, I would prefer a more relaxing
environment.
15 Reply Share

Markus Schulz > Chuck Anziulewicz 4 years ago

Yaaawwwwwwwnnnnn.
4 Reply Share

Concerned Citizen 4 years ago

"Terminal 3 more than doubles the capacity of the existing airport", or "it will increase the
capacity of the airport by 58%". This article must have skipped the editing room.

"Check-in 'islands', gates and passport-check areas with a stainless steel finish that beautifully
reflect the honeycomb patterns from above." Uhhhh, if you say so. Since it is mentioned so
many times, there should be photos.

In spite of the pitiful documentation, I like the shell of the airport and its means of support.
The rest of the building seems to have fallen into mediocrity.
4 Reply Share

ike 4 years ago

Did this project brief come with a budget?
3 Reply Share

auter 4 years ago

I like it.

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10/26/2017 Terminal 3 at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport by Studio Fuksas

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