Image by NKCHU
Zaha Hadid Architects’ 700,000 sqm Daxing International Airport in Beijing was inaugurated on September 25, 2019. The Starfish boasts the world’s largest single-building terminal, initially serving 45 million passengers per year and expected to accommodate 72 million by 2025. Further expansions plan to serve up to 100 million travellers and four million tonnes of cargo annually.
Located in the Daxing district, 46km south of Beijing’s city centre, the Zaha Hadid-designed airport has been developed to alleviate congestion at the Chinese capital’s existing airport, which is currently operating at full capacity. The 700,000 sqm compact passenger terminal includes an 80,000 sqm ground transportation centre, which offers direct connections to Beijing, the national high-speed rail network and local train services. 
The terminal’s architecture echoes principles of traditional Chinese architecture that organises interconnected spaces around a central courtyard. Its design guides all passengers seamlessly through the relevant zones and towards a grand courtyard at the centre – a multi-layered meeting space at the heart of the terminal. Six flowing forms within the terminal’s vaulted roof reach to the ground to support the structure and bring natural light within, which also enters the terminal via a network of linear skylights that provide an intuitive system of navigation throughout the building. Structural spans of up to 100m create the terminal’s generous public spaces and allow the highest degree of flexibility for any future reconfiguration. 
The compact radial design of the terminal provides convenience for passengers and flexibility in operations as it allows a maximum number of aircraft to be parked directly at the terminal with minimum distances from the centre of the building. 79 gates with airbridges connect directly to the terminal, which can rapidly process the passengers of six full A380 aircraft simultaneously. The radial configuration ensures the farthest boarding gate can be accessed in a walking time of less than eight minutes. 
Via designboom | Images by Hufton+Crow