Extraordinary bird-shaped airport spreads its wings in China

Never a studio content to play it safe and produce predictable designs, MAD Architects draws inspiration from the natural world for its upcoming Lishui Airport, which takes the form of a large white bird ready to take flight.

Lishui Airport is currently under construction on a hilly wooded area in China's Zhejiang Province. It's slated to be completed by the close of 2024, though looking at the construction photo provided, there's still a lot of work to do before its landscaping looks as lush as the renders.

"Lishui, a 'forest city' in southwest Zhejiang Province, is renowned for its lush greenery and valleys," said MAD's press release. "Its first airport is positioned as a domestic regional airport with an anticipated annual passenger throughput of one million, located in the hilly terrain 15 kilometers [9.3 miles] southwest of the city. The planning and design try to respect the original site while ensuring accessibility, highlighting the characteristics of a mountain airport, and aiming to inspire tourism.

"Covering 2,267 hectares [roughly 5,600 acres] of land with a maximum fill height difference of nearly 100 meters [almost 330 ft], the airport adopts a large silver-white overhanging roof resembling a white-feathered bird ready to soar. The bird-like form absorbs the elevation changes and merges the airport into the mountains, making the airport a spiritual landmark in the region."

The building will reach a height of almost 24 m (roughly 79 ft) and will measure 12,100 sq m (130,000 sq ft). Its interior will feature an attractive curving wood finish topped by a large central skylight. This will be combined with large windows to maximize natural light inside.

The overall layout will be arranged to optimize ease of travel, with the idea being that the departure facilities will be easily accessed on the ground floor, while slower-paced waiting areas will be placed upstairs.

The airport is expected to grow to accommodate up to 5 million passengers per year by 2030, with an additional international terminal being considered as an expansion too.

MAD has plenty of form – both for drawing inspiration from nature and for airport design. The firm has previously revealed plans for an airport shaped like a floating feather and another that forms a massive snowflake, both of which are located in China.

Source: MAD