World’s Biggest Airport Opens in Beijing

The world’s biggest airport is now finished and ready for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The $3.5 billion gigantic dragon terminal, which is the centerpiece of the 501-square-mile complex capable to allow 50 million passengers per year, looks even more impressive in the amazing, almost unreal photos.

The new Terminal 3 has been designed to be energy efficient, allowing for natural lightning—whenever is possible and the city smog allows, I guess—and packing all the facilities into a single structure, rather than fragmenting them in separate buildings—the building is 17% bigger than London Heathrow T1, T2, T3, T4 and the new T5 put together.

With a total of five floors—two underground— the dragon terminal is divided in three parts: the 3C is the domestic hall—and main passenger terminal, 3D is the Olympics hall—used for charter flights during the celebrations, and 3E is the international hall. [Archdaily]