HotWired Archive
This page first appeared 20 October 1995.
A gleaming-white terminal building, covering over 5 million square feet, is the centerpiece of the new airport. More than 200 architects and engineers contributed to the creation of this "stunning gateway to Hong Kong and southern China." In designing the building, Norman Foster aimed to produce an architecture of "openness," and did just that: the surrounding landscape, aircraft, and other sights are easily viewed from most points within. Overhead, a vaulted roof with abundant skylights will admit natural light to the concourse. An Automated People Mover - a driverless train capable of carrying 5,270 passengers an hour - will move travelers through the kilometer-long building.
The terminal is designed to handle 40 aircraft arrivals and departures each hour. It will accommodate anticipated growth until 2002, and may be expanded in stages as need dictates.
Construction is also well along on the new airport's control tower, which already dominates the vast expanse of the construction site.
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