Hulunbuir Hailar Airport is located in Hailar District, Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia. Hulunbuir is well known as one of the Top 10 Snowy Cities in China with its most beautiful prairies in the world. The built-up area of existed T1 Terminal was 7,600 m2. It could not meet the need of ever-growing passenger volume for prairie tourism. Obviously, it is necessary for the existed terminal to be expanded.

At the beginning, the boundary and plan of this expansion project were fixed. As a result, we were facing a great challenge ? how to design a modern architectural work with rich local features by the fixed conditions.

Concept Generation

An innovative architectural form was produced – frame columns support the huge roof on the second floor by several double-V-shaped diagonal structures. The boundary between vertical and horizontal interfaces is eliminated by the structural integration of columns, ceiling and roof, to create a continuous Mongolian-yurt-like space. This golden and white huge space also makes people feel like they were in the sunny birch forest.
An under-eave space with double-height is created in the landside system by the altitude difference designed between the south and north facades. Clouds and herds, the typical local elements, are beautifully expressed by the elegantly curved roof with bi-directional single-layer reticulated shells. A broad undulating and rhythmic view is shown to the passengers in everywhere of this layering T2 Terminal spac...