Infrastructure & Aviation

The living Airport

Render by MIR

Project information

  1. Location Guangzhou, China
  2. Area727.000 m²

Project details

  1. Year — 2020
  2. StatusCompetition proposal
  3. Partners NACO
    Eckersley O’Callaghan
    SLA
    Urban systems design
    Portland
  4. Client Engineering Construction Headquarter of Guangdong Airport Management Group Co. Ltd.
  5. Enquiries Thomas Lindgård Fagernes
    Gudmund Stokke
  6. Scope Airport planning and design

Dialogue with place and culture

Guangzhou Baiyun international airport design is inspired by the bustling energy and modernity of Guangzhou city, and the local traditional Lingnan gardens and architecture. It is designed to be the greenest and most sustainable airport in the world. Terminal 3 provides an experience where the nature and landscapes of Guangdong escort travellers through their journey in the terminal. It is an airport with a true local identity, inspired by the regional nature, and the 2000-year-old cultural legacy preserved in a modern setting.

PLAY Living Airport
Render by Turzen
Render by Turzen
Render by Turzen
Render by Turzen

An authentic experience

Using the local vegetation, the airport green areas reduce noise, improve air quality, optimize indoor and outdoor microclimate and make of Guangzhou Airport a true “airport of nature”.

The airport landscape design allows different ways of moving through the airport. In a hurry, green fast tracks lead the passengers directly to their gate. With hours in-between flights, they can wander along biodiverse paths, linger in airside courtyards, eat, drink and shop under the canopies, and experience the unique vegetation and culture of Guangdong.

Render by Turzen
Render by Turzen
Render by Turzen

An intuitive journey

The design has a strong focus on the passenger experience. It ensures that each journey is clear, simple, convenient, and easy. Intuitive navigation is delivered through signage, but also with landmarks, symbols and character districts that encourages a natural flow and orientation. The planning and design guide the passengers throughout the entire terminal, both vertically and horizontally, by creating clear nodes and portals.

Render by MIR
Render by MIR
Render by Turzen
Render by Turzen

Future proof

The environmental design strategy considers the climate, culture and context holistically. Baiyun T3 is an exemplar performant environmental design, with the architectural informed through a climatic responsive and human centered design. Low carbon, water and energy consumption, and reduced waste production forms an integral part of the technical design. The project focuses on the user experience, but is also designed to be adaptable, and address future challenges such as the exponential technological growth or the forthcoming environmental challenges.

  1. Render by MIR
1 3

The efficient machine

Efficiency is one of the main drivers of the masterplan concept. It is reflected in a terminal that is compact and has a high number of contact stands.

The concept assures airside flexibility. The new terminal 3 has several MARS aircraft stands, which can handle two narrow body aircraft or one widebody aircraft, allowing to adapt to any future changes in the fleet mix. In the terminal, the central zone has swing gates that can operate both domestic and international flights.

This flexibility ensures the airport is efficient and future proof. In addition, the design allocates space for the latest technologies to keep up with evolving passenger needs. Area reservations have also been allocated in the passenger processing areas to allow for future expansion.

Render by Turzen