PROJECT REPORT: TRANSPORT FACILITIES & PUBLIC REALM
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cubic metres of water in new wetlands, lakes and streams. This not only prevents flooding, but also counters the summer ‘heat island’ effect on the local microclimate.
In addition to these added measures, the terminal’s design in itself benefits sustainability, by the “simple fact it is walkable,” says its lead architect. Efficient aircraft operations and reduced taxi times further contribute by reducing the amount of time planes consume fuel on the ground. “In this manner, the project truly lives up to our and the Government’s ambitions to set an example,” says Ceccato. “Our practice is very committed to environmental performance and safeguarding the environment, so we are very pleased that the completed project has been performing as desired.”
Finished product
Despite the complexities and demanding goals, after only four years, the team landed a successful result in Daxing. The airport opened on 25 September
2019, six days before the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, in a ceremony attended by Chinese president Xi Jinping.
Now in full operation, the project is expected to host 72 million passengers a year by 2025 with an additional satellite pier. It has been widely praised since its inception for its functional and practical design, and is deemed likely to set a benchmark for airports worldwide. Ceccato fondly remembers the fact that
ADF FEBRUARY 2021
following the opening ceremony, British Airways were the first international airline to fly into the new terminal. This memory has no doubt gained some poignancy given ongoing restrictions on air travel. “The somewhat intentional symbolic connection with the project's British architects made the client very happy, as did the entire finished product,” he says. “Everyone was thrilled; the project had been a huge success.”
Architecture in collaboration Looking back on this success, the architect believes the key was a deep collaboration across teams, plus a holistic role for architects throughout the project. “It’s important to remember that the role of architecture has evolved,” explains Ceccato. “Architects may sometimes do some planning and their bit of a contract and move on, and if they’re lucky, that might result in something that simply looks nice – but I don’t think this is good enough.” Instead, he proposes, by working tightly together with the client from start to finish, as was the case at Beijing Daxing, architecture can play a major role in “functionality and perception” also. “Rather than only looking at what you’re contracted for,” he continues, “working in this way encourages you to take on a wider social contract and really help change the place you’re creating for the better.” “If that gets remembered, as it was here,” Ceccato concludes, “architecture can go so much further than aesthetics.”
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“Air travel is a unifying and democratising experience – and we wanted to change this experience for the better”
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