Shenzhen Bao'an Airport Terminal 3

Shenzhen, China / 500,000 SM / Infrastructural

STUDIO MASSIMILIANO FUKSAS, 2013
Competition design team co-lead by current FORRM member Joshua Mackley

In 2008, Massimiliano Fuksas won the international competition for the design of Shenzhen's signature new airport terminal - a fitting gateway to one of China's most vibrant and growing modern cities. Opened to the public in 2013, the facade of the terminal is composed of a double skin of two interlocking, undulating, perforated surfaces. These two skins provide the building with an efficient structural depth along with its unique and atmospheric character, filtering the sunlight and diffusing throughout the space a mesmerizing ambient glow. The interplay between the interior and exterior folds creates a wide diversity of lighting effects within the long terminal, helping to delineate and anchor important locations and points of interest. Reminiscent of a ray or other sea creature, the sinuous forms of the building recall the dynamics of both swimming and flight.

Image credits: Leonardo Finotti