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QUERIES:
Application for the Dr. Soo Kim Lan Prize in Architecture
[26 April - 18 May 2005]

Flight <-> Connection <-> City

What is the purpose of an airport? Is it to serve the residents of the city in which it is located, or rather to serve the passengers connecting through the airport?

Further, at what point has one "arrived" at a destination: when the airplane touches down, or when the taxi arrives downtown, or somewhere in between?

At what point can one claim to have visited a city? Is being in transit visiting a city?

What is the future of airports? How do architects see the future?

"The world's architects and planners are increasingly treating the airport not as a separate entity but as just another part of the urban condition. [...] The task now is to design effectively for the whole physical, environmental and emotional experience of the airport over a wide area." (Pearman, 236)

The airport and the city: their levels of interdependence have fluctuated greatly over the past century.

In one sense, the airport is a very urban project. In the past, a city's size frequently dictated the importance of its airport, and the growth of an airport was often tied to its host's growth. However, physically, the airport is commonly the antithesis to the city. The vast expanses of land required, the exhaustive pollution and the deafening noise of air traffic have all pushed the airport to a city's edge, and often far beyond its boundaries.

Yet what are the current trends in air transportation and airport design? And where does the idea of city fit into the current model?

With the massive expansion of Asian markets over the past few decades, air travel in the region has been steadily gaining ground. This growth has led to the construction of numerous new or expanded international airports over the past ten years. Indeed, the most recent wave of airport construction has been concentrated in Asia. Each country, and each city in many cases, has been jockeying for position as the main hub for Asian air transportation.

However, the goal of maximizing passenger numbers nuances the importance of the connection between the city and the airport. Indeed, such a focus raises numerous questions about the design, the urbanity and site specificity of the airport. These issues must be studied and addressed.

This study will involve some preliminary research regarding the intent and design of the airport. However, the bulk of evaluation will be based on an experiential review of as many airports that time and resources permit. The experience will be studied, from landing through to arrival in the city centre, and again from leaving the city to take-off.

Among others, the following elements of the airport and its design will be studied:

Location

• Proximity to City Centre
• Urban Expression
• Transport Connectivity
• Airport Approach (by air)
• Airport Approach (by ground)
• City Approach

Architectural Expression

• Conceptual Intention
• Form
• Orientation
• Structure
• Materiality
• Integration of Technology
• Local Tastes, Traditions & Building Culture

Programming

• Efficiency of Flows
• Efficiency of Service
• Efficiency of Connections (air, ground)
• Airside vs Landside Treatment
• In Transit vs Arrivals Treatment

The following airports have been selected as potential sites to visit. The choice of airports was based one or more of the following aspects: the scale of the airport (building size and traffic volumes), the size of the city served, the age of the airport and the project's architect. It is by no means an exhaustive list of significant Asian airports, but it is intended to adequately represent recent trends in airport development in the region.

The actual number and choice of airports visited will depend on the level of support received, as well as the availability and cost of flights in the region.

Map of Asia, showing the proposed selection of airports.

Kansai International Airport (1994)
Osaka, Japan
Architect: Renzo Piano, ADP, Noriaki Okabe

Chek Lap Kok Airport (1998)
Hong Kong, China
Architect: Foster and Partners

Kuala Lumpur Airport (1998)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Architect: Kisho Kurokawa Architect, Arkitek Jururancag

Beijing Capital International Airport (1999, 2004)
Beijing, China
Architect: Beijing Institute of Architecture and Design

Shanghai¨CPudong Airport (1999)
Shanghai, China
Architect: Paul Andreu/ADP

Incheon International Airport (2001)
Seoul, South Korea
Architect: Fentress Bradburn

Changi International Airport, Terminal 3 (2003)
Singapore, Singapore
Architect: SOM

Canton Baiyun Airport (2004)
Guangzhou, China
Architect: Parson, URS Corporation

*Suvarnabhumi Airport (2005)
Bangkok, Thailand
Architect: Murphy/Jahn, TAMS, ACT

*Beijing Capital International Airport, Terminal 3 (2007)
Beijing, China
Architect: Foster and Partners

References

Arai, Yoichi. (1996). The World Airports: International Airports and their Commercial Facilities. Japan: Digital Manga Inc.

Binney, Marcus. (1999). Airport Builders. West Sussex, England: Academy Editions.

Blankenship, Edward G. (1974). The Airport: Architecture - Urban Integration - Ecological Problems. London: Pall Mall Press.

Cerver, Francisco Asensio. (1997). The Architecture of Stations and Terminals. New York: Hearst Books International.

Cerver, Francisco Asensio. (2000). The World of Contemporary Architecture. Cologne: Konemann Verlagsgesllschaft mbH.

Hart, Walter. (1985). The Airport Passenger Terminal. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Lang, Jon. (1987). Creating Architectural Theory: The Role of the Behavioral Sciences in Environmental Design. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Pearman, Hugh. (2004). Airports: A Century of Architecture. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers.

Toy, Maggie [ed.]. (May-June 1994). Architecture of Transportation. Architectural Design, 64:5/6.

Wombell, Paul et al. (1997). The Most Important Buildings of the Twentieth Century: Airport. London: The Photographers' Gallery.