Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport is an eco-friendly aırport

The Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport is an eco-friendly aırport that has now opened its doors to travelers. The building has a somewhat futuristic look to it and it will take over from the three airport terminals in China, which stopped operating following successful test runs on the new terminal.

[Image Courtesy of Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport]

This stunning terminal is jaw dropping and an Italian architectural firm, FUKSAS, was behind the design. They won the rights to design it following a competition that was held in 2008. The terminal takes on the appearance of a mobula, which is the flying ray, with the connection being that in China the word for blessed sounds a lot like mobula.

[Image Courtesy of Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport]

The Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport’s new terminal comes at a price tag which is said to be around 8.5 billion Yuan, which works out at $1.4 billion US. The terminal is three times the size of the old terminals combined together and it offers enough room for 76 airplanes.

[Image Courtesy of Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport]

Terminal 3 is the most recent addition to the airport and the company behind the design did very well when it came to the construction as it has taken just three years to complete. At the moment it is considered to be the largest public building in the city, which happens to have the title of being one of the fastest growing in the world. It features 200 check-in counters and has space for more than 200 shops.

[Image Courtesy of Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport]

This eco-friendly terminal collects the rainwater, which is then used to maintain the indoor plants. Another very interesting feature of the terminal is that it is the first to have as 10 megawatt power plant and this provides the equivalent energy for supporting around 10,000 homes in the US each month. The airport also has a total of 116 air conditioning units which are shaped like trees so they blend in with the design of the terminal. These also double up as the fire equipment along with public address system for the whole of the terminal.

[Image Courtesy of Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport]

The Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport terminal 3 spreads out around 1.5km in length and has a roof that spans around 80m. Looking at the building it seems as though it is organic in appearance and it could have easily been shaped from the wind that has blown through the landscape. There is an external along with internal double skin that is very striking and which takes on a honeycomb appearance. This means that natural light is able to filter from outside right into the inside core of the airport terminal. It does this at different angles, which creates stunning patterns and effects inside the terminal. This is made possible by a layer of metal that has been shaped, along with panels of glass that partially open.

[Image Courtesy of Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport]

Via [Travel.cnn]