The world’s largest airport terminal: an architectural masterpiece with a unique design

The massive terminal of Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX), which opened in 2019, has become famous for its unique design; But if you look closely, you’ll see similarities between this modern terminal and the historic TWA terminal at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport. Completed in 1962, the New York terminal was revolutionary for its time with its innovative design, a central structure with corridors leading to the aircraft gates. This design was very progressive more than 60 years ago; But today, compared to Beijing’s state-of-the-art Daxing terminal, it has an older feel.

Beijing’s Daxing Airport, famous for its starfish-like appearance (though it actually has six concourses, not five), is the world’s largest single-unit airport terminal, covering 7.5 million square feet. This engineering masterpiece was designed by Zaha Hadid’s architectural office in collaboration with “ADP Ingénierie” and its purpose was to combine traditional Chinese architecture with modern needs. One of the unique features of this airport is that passengers never walk more than eight minutes to their flight gates; However, the presence of various facilities such as restaurants and stores may make this time longer.

_{Photo source: Islands website Photographer: Unknown}

Restaurants and shopping in an airport with a futuristic design

The construction of Beijing Daxing Airport began in 2014 and was completed five years later at a cost of 17 billion dollars. In addition to the beautiful glass and metal design, this airport provides an amazing experience for passengers with natural light coming in through the convex roof skylights. This airport replaces the old Nanyuan Airport and helps reduce the traffic of Beijing International Airport.

Passengers in Daxing can use facilities such as service robots that provide flight information and other assistance. The airport also has a yoga room and traditional Chinese gardens located at the end of each corridor. Although there are still no celebrity chef restaurants at this airport, there are more than 70 restaurants and coffee shops available, including famous brands such as Starbucks, KFC, and Pizza Hut.

Entertainment options between flights

Since Daxing Airport opened in 2019, it was projected to serve 72 million passengers annually by 2025. In 2024, the airport’s annual traffic reached more than 30 million passengers, which was a significant increase compared to the previous year. If everything goes according to plan, this airport will be able to handle 100 million passengers per year by 2040. In addition to the current four runways of the airport, there is a plan to build three more runways in order to increase capacity.

The airport is also connected to the local transportation network and China’s high-speed railway, allowing passengers to quickly transfer to the center of Beijing in 20 minutes. For those who have extra time between flights, this advantage is the perfect opportunity to visit China’s attractions such as the Beijing Wildlife Park or even famous temples.

If you are looking for a place to rest between flights, you can visit the in-house hotel, Aerotel Beijing, and for a fee, use its facilities such as private rooms with showers and a library lounge. Also for families, there is a dedicated playground at the airport. In addition to luxury and modern experiences, this airport is a symbol of the future of air travel and a combination of innovation and Chinese culture.

_{Cover photo source: Islands website Photographer: Unknown}