Beijing airport bags Building of the Year

Breaking news: Beijing Capital International Airport has just been named the Building of the Year by the UK’s architecture sector during the prestigious AJ100 survey and awards. Terminal 3 at the airport, designed by Foster + Partners, was selected unanimously as the winner from a shortlist of five buildings by the judging panel.


According to Dexigner.comthe judges were impressed by the airport's elegant form and light-filled interior, "which will create a memorable and inspiring environment for the 50 million passengers who will travel through the terminal by 2020.

"The jury felt that the new terminal building incorporates subtle references to Chinese architectural traditions, giving it a strong sense of place.

"Integrated public transport and short walking distances for passengers have also been carefully addressed in the design, and the jury also recognized the challenge of delivering such a technically complex building in this location.

Prince George's "wooden" terminal grabs award

Skylight at Prince George Airport, originally uploaded by dora_explorer (biking in France).

Wood: simple, honest, lightweight, cheap and sustainable. It is undoubtedly the most underused and undervalued building material when it comes to air terminals. So it's nice that British Columbia's Prince George Airport has been rewarded for its excellence for innovation in architecture by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada for making good use of wood.


According to a report in the Prince George Citizen, the judges remarked that the terminal's "durability, sustainability, elegant detailing and cost were all weighed in the decisions to develop a simple natural palette for the building," while adding that the creation of "simple beautiful surfaces and minimalistic detailing," openness of the interior to the extensions, "stressed and enhanced by an elegant roof that appears to float. " In sum, they called it an "elegant creation in the context of normal cost constraints."

The effect is breathtaking: creating a seamless"indoor-outdoor" experience for travellers in the departure lounge. Prince George is one of the few airports in the world where it is common that bears and other wildlife wander just opposite the terminal and beyond the runway. Don't worry there's a thick layer of paw-proof glass, just in case the beasties get too close.