The Beijing Daxing International Airport by Zaha Hadid Architects has just been inaugurated by Chinese president Xi Jinping.The Beijing Daxing International Airport by Zaha Hadid Architects has just been inaugurated by Chinese president Xi Jinping.Being one of the world’s fastest-growing transport hubs, due to the increasing demand for travel in the region, Beijing has just launched a brand new airport in a bid to expand its capacity and highlight its design credentials in a single move.
The expansive structure’s white, vaulted roof ensures both structural flexibility and integrity, but also allows plenty of natural light in, while providing a sculptural feature as visitors walk across the different areas towards their destination. At the same time, five piers radiate from the central hub allowing a maximum number of aircrafts to be parked directly at the terminal to minimise distances for the passengers’ convenience.
Striking looks are matched by green credentials in this design, with photovoltaic power generation systems installed throughout the airport, centralised heating with waste heat recovery and rainwater collection, and a water management system. This helps ‘prevent flooding and counter the summer ‘heat island’ effect on the local microclimate’, explain the architects.
This airport was designed to alleviate congestion at Beijing’s existing international airport - but it also set to create a thrilling spatial experience for the architecture enthusiasts, and not only. §