SHENZHEN BAO'AN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Sara Ferrara

A manta ray lays along the delta of the Pearl River and directs the comings and goings of the airplanes and travelers, just a few kilometers from Shenzhen. In the flowing motion of its continuous gallery — designed by Studio Fuksas — Terminal 3, like a work of land art, is in one of the major hubs of southern China. The “head” of its organic form invites visitors with an entrance cantilever roof that projects outwards towards some extensions of the double skin wrapping the structure. Glass and metal panels are side by side, forming a soft perforated surface, revealing the honeycomb pattern inside and letting in natural light for most of its length.

The honeycomb pattern is key for the interiors as well, where the mirrored materials double the pattern and, during the day, the surfaces are ideal for the light ray’s geometric projections. White pillars support the roof’s undulations and mark out the ethereal spaces like those of a contemporary cathedral, where a reverence for nature shapes both the framework and its furnishings, with stylized “trees” for air conditioning and forms like rocks — with softened lines — as planters and seating.
The dimension of certain places, where time expands and constricts, is given conceptual form in the “movement” that the design conveys, and its powerful sculptural quality elevates functionality to the level of an icon.