Today the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee (BOCOG) invited the media to a preview of Terminal 3, or "T3" at Beijing Capital Airport.
And from the looks of it, the complex is a dead-ringer for Hong Kong's International Airport in terms of design. Architect Norman Foster is the brains behind this second version of the marble, glass and steel structure so it's not surprising that it looks... so similar.
The entrance ramps, the check-in counters, long corridors are practically replicas of the Hong Kong one. It also includes a light rail train that will transport passengers from Dongzhimen to the airport in 16 minutes.
The only thing that looks different is the ceiling. Instead of triangles, Terminal 3 has super long lines running from one end to the other lengthwise. It's a lot of lines. And the ceiling has the odd triangle window that allows natural light in.
To make the airport more Chinese, the main columns outside are a deep red, while the roof is golden coloured, harking back to the architecture of the Forbidden City.
It's definitely a majestic place.
While the first few operational days of the Hong Kong International Airport were a bit rough around the edges, problems were sorted quite quickly.
Hopefully there will be enough qualified personnel to run T3 as efficiently as possible. That test will come in February 2008 when it opens.
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1 comment:
norman foster has won awards for his design of the hong kong airport. now the terminal 3 looks like another winner. we wish them luck. the existing airport now really needs revamp.
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