Beijing’s Daxing International Airport, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, spans 700,000 square meters and officially opened on September 25, 2019. Nicknamed “Haixing,” it is the world’s largest single-terminal airport. Initially, it was designed to handle 45 million passengers annually, with projections to reach 72 million by 2025. Future expansions aim to accommodate 100 million passengers and process 4 million tons of cargo each year.
Located in the Daxing District, 46 kilometers south of central Beijing, the airport was constructed to relieve congestion at the city’s existing airports, which were operating at full capacity. The compact terminal encompasses 700,000 square meters, including an 80,000-square-meter ground transportation center. This center connects directly to Beijing’s urban area, the national high-speed rail network, and local train services.
The terminal’s architecture draws inspiration from traditional Chinese design principles, focusing on spatial connections around a central courtyard, enhanced through Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology. Passengers are guided intuitively through the terminal’s zones towards a multi-level central gathering area—a vast courtyard. Six flowing forms beneath the arched roof extend downward to support the structure while admitting natural light. Additionally, a linear skylight network floods the terminal with daylight, serving as a natural wayfinding element. The terminal’s structural spans reach up to 100 meters, creating expansive public spaces that offer considerable flexibility for future modifications.
The terminal’s compact radial layout maximizes the number of aircraft that can park directly adjacent to the building, minimizing distance from the terminal’s core. This design enhances passenger convenience and operational flexibility. There are 79 boarding gates equipped with jet bridges, enabling simultaneous processing of six A380 aircraft. The radial configuration ensures that passengers can reach the farthest gate within a comfortable eight-minute walk.
Project Drawings
▲ Underground Floor Plan
▲ Underground Second Floor Plan
▲ First Floor Plan
▲ Second Floor Plan
▲ Third Floor Plan
▲ Fourth Floor Plan
▲ Roof Plan
Project Information
Project Name: Beijing Daxing International Airport
Architect / Joint Design Team: Zaha Hadid Architects and ADP Ingénierie (ADPI)
Project Location: Daxing, Beijing; Guangyang, Langfang (Hebei)
Client: Beijing New Airport Construction Command Center
Project Directors (ZHA): Cristiano Ceccato, Charles Walker, Mouzhan Majidi
Project Design Manager (ZHA): Paulo Flores
Project Architect (ZHA): Lydia Kim
Project Coordination (ZHA): Eugene Leung, Shao Wei Huang
ZHA Project Team: Uli Blum, Antonio Monserrat, Alberto Moletto, Sophie Davison, Carolina Lopez-Blanco, Shaun Farrell (BIM Engineer), Junyi Wang, Ermis Chalvatzis, Rafael Contreras, Michael Grau, Fernando Poucell, Gerry Cruz, Filipa Gomez, Kyla Farrell, Natassa Lianou, Teoman Ayas, Peter Logan, Yun Zhang, Karoly Markos, Irene Guerra
Beijing Team (ZHA): Satoshi Ohashi, Rita Lee, Yang Jingwen, Lillie Liu, Juan Liu
Local Design Institutes: Beijing Architectural Design Institute, China Airport Construction Corporation
Collaboration Team (Competition Stage): Pascall + Watson, BuroHappold Engineering, Mott MacDonald, EC Harris Consultants, McKinsey & Company, Dunnett Craven, Triagonal, Logplan, Sensing Places, SPADA
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up