Construction on a massive new international passenger airport in southern Beijing has begun. The new facility – to be completed in about five years – is set to cost 80 billion yuan (US$13b) as booming demand for travel to and from China stretches the capacity of existing facilities.
Travel demand in China has soared as the country has grown to become the world’s second-largest economy and Beijing’s current International airport in the city’s northeast has begun to reach its capacity limits.
The Beijing New Airport Terminal Building, designed in collaboration with airport planners ADP Ingeniérie (ADPI), will initially accommodate 45 million passengers per year.
According to a press statement by Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) it will be “adaptable and sustainable, operating in many different configurations dependent on varying aircraft and passenger traffic throughout each day.”
The terminal will feature an integrated multi-modal transport center with direct links to local and national rail services.
Led by Pritzker Prize winning British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, ZHA’s projects include some of the world’s most popular, user-focused and adaptable civic architecture. Current projects include the Sleuk Rith Institute in Cambodia and the New National Stadium for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.