Developed as a gateway to the host city in 2008 du...

Developed as a gateway to the host city in 2008 during the Olympics, Beijing Airport's Terminal 3 is known to be one of the world's largest and advanced airports. The most striking feature of this airport is its dragon-like architecture, designed keeping in mind the Chinese traditions and colours. It has been designed by architecture company Foster + Partners to cater to 50 million passengers by 2020. Roof made of unifying canopy ensures that there is enough natural light for both creating accents as well as a source of daylight. To segregate different sections, airport has been divided into different colour zones. The terminal is also known to be one of the most energy efficient airports in the world as it hosts south-east orientated skylights that gain heat from the morning sun and ensure a warm temperature. It also has an integrated environment-control system that minimises energy consumption. The terminal, which was constructed in four years, was built using performance materials based on local availability, functionality, application of local skills and low-cost procurement.