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Article from issue 6/1998 »Roof Structures«

Hong Kong Airport Terminal

documentation p. 979 - 987
Architect Foster and Partners | Mott Connell Ltd. | Structural Engineer Ove Arup + Partners |

Built on a man-made island in the South China Sea, the complex has an overall length of 1,270 m and a width of 350 m. A clear, logical organization was fundamental to the concept. The large areas of glazing not only afford spectacular views of the sea and mountains; they also result in a better sense of orientation within the building.
The roof structure consists of a number of arched elements lined up parallel to each other to create a wave-like form. Since the building is required to incorporate a wide range of functions, the roof lends it a pleasing unity. The additive modular system underlying the design also facilitates later extensions. The individual elements comprise a series of lattice steel shells, each 6 m high and spanning a distance of 36 m. The shells consist of several hundred precut steel sections – with an average length of 4.5 m – and weigh some 100 tonnes each when assembled. Starting at the middle of the building, the roof bays were hoisted into position by large mobile cranes. The concept represents a further development of that used at Stansted Airport. Internal aluminium panels in conjunction with the wave-like form of the roof facilitate an integrated light-deflection system that allows the ingress of filtered natural light during the day and the reflected use of artificial lighting at night.
The glazed façade is divided into 3 x 2 m penels. The glazing is supported by steel bowstring trusses that extend up to a height of 21 m. The construction is dimensioned to resist the force of typhoons