Monumental architecture begins with the details. Last year, the Beijing Daxing International Airport<\/a> by Zaha Hadid Architects<\/a> and ADP Ing\u00e9nierie<\/a> opened as the world\u2019s largest airport. Featuring the largest terminal ever built, it is an architecture of superlatives, spanning over 7.5 million square feet. Working with Arup<\/a> and BuroHappold<\/a>, the team was able to design long-span steel structures that integrated with a continuous open floor plan.<\/p>\n Read on to discover some of the ingenious details that helped bring the project, recipient of a 2020 A+Awards Special Honoree Award<\/strong>, to reality.<\/p>\n Photo by Hufton + Crow<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n The BDIA was made as a new airport located in the Daxing district south of the city center. Developed to alleviate congestion at the capital\u2019s existing airport, it was designed to be a major transport hub for the region that\u2019s fully integrated within the country\u2019s expanding transport network.<\/p>\n The terminal includes a ground transportation center offering direct connections to Beijing for economic development in Tianjin and the Hebei Province.<\/p>\n Size comparison graphic by Twitter user @sasha_trub<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n Drawing by Zaha Hadid Architects<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n Inspired by traditional Chinese architecture that organize interconnected spaces around a central courtyard, the terminal\u2019s design guides passengers through the relevant departure, arrival or transfer zones towards the grand courtyard at its center.<\/p>\n Six forms within the terminal\u2019s vaulted roof reach to the ground to support the structure and bring natural light within, directing all passengers towards the central courtyard.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.architizer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/11-80.jpg\")
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