The highly anticipated new terminal at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, Guangdong, China, opened last week. The futuristic building in the southern Chinese city replaces three airport terminals, which ceased operation on Wednesday following three test runs of the new facility. Designed by the Italian Studio Fuksas, the 500,000 sq.m Terminal 3 has been shaped to look like a manta ray and features a striking internal and external double 'skin' honeycomb motif that wraps the structure. The terminal is 1.5 km long and the roof spans up to 80 m.
The honeycomb shaped metal and glass panels punctuate the façade of the terminal allowing natural light to filter through, reducing energy consumption. On the interior, the terminal is characterized by distinctive white conical supporting columns that rise to touch the roof at a cathedral-like scale. Rainwater is collected and recycled in toilets and used to water indoor plants. It's the first airport in China to feature a 10-megawatt solar power plant, which cranks out enough power to support 10,000 U.S. households per month. Other interesting features include 116 white tree-shaped air conditioners that blend in with the terminal's interior design.
Construction of the terminal is reported to have cost 8.5 billion yuan (roughly $1.4 billion). The terminal is scheduled for two further phases of construction and expansion to be completed in 2025 and 2035 respectively.
via CNN. Photo credits: Studio Fuksas
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