A proposal by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) is reimagining the airport experience. With a dramatic undulating roof that covers a vast interior garden, the proposed extension to the Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport will handle 31 million visitors per year in a new 400,000 square-meter terminal.
The roof design is inspired by the undulating patterns of airflow and provides architectural interests for travelers in the central interior garden. “The garden acts as the front door to Shenzhen connecting and integrating ground and air travel,” says Andrew Tyler of RSHP. “The terminal will be at the center of a new ‘airport city’ and will be a landmark portal through which thousands of people pass every day. The design provides Shenzhen with a state-of-the-art terminal with a particular focus on passenger experience, wellbeing, and sustainability. Reflecting this forward-facing dynamic city and region, it will become part of the lexicon of next generation airports.”
Ivan Harbour of RSHP explains that the project focuses on the travel experience. “It is a building where passengers’ wellbeing and pleasure are at the heart of the design. This is an airport that celebrates the hellos and goodbyes in a natural environment at its heart. These are the emotional moments that, despite the ever-increasing speed of our daily lives, remain important to us as individuals.”
RSHP intends to practice sustainable design by using rainwater and solar energy to support some of the functions for its use.